The Centre's decision to withdraw consent of states for operating Shramik trains carrying migrants to different parts of the country will not come in the way of Karnataka's prohibition on entry of people from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.
According to authorities, only two Shramik trains carrying native residents have arrived in Karnataka till date and none of them originated in the states from which entry has been restricted.
IAS officer N Manjunath Prasad, the nodal officer for inter-state travel, told DH that most Kannadigas in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu had arrived by road.
Sources in South Western Railway said that there are no Shramik trains scheduled from these states as yet.
Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan, who is also a member of the Karnataka’s COVID-19 task force, told DH that though the state government had its own view on the issue, the Centre's decision will now prevail. "We will abide by it in the larger interest of humanity. Migrant workers have suffered enough. So, for their sake, we have to show magnanimity and accept the decision,” he said.
As many as 2.5 lakh persons belonging to 1.4 lakh families have applied to return to Karnataka. However, many have cancelled their plans to return after learning about institutional quarantine, according to official sources.