More than 1,000 migrant workers in Rajasthan returned to their home state West Bengal on a special train on Tuesday. After the train arrived at the Dankuni rail station at around10.40 am, the workers were taken to medical camps where they were screened.
“Today 1188 migrant workers returned from Rajasthan. The train started from Ajmer. Those who cleared the medical tests are being sent to their respective districts on buses provided by the state’s Transport Department,” a senior state government official said. He also said that another batch of migrant workers are set to arrive soon from Kerala.
According to sources in the state administration, the Bengal government is coordinating with other state governments on how to send back migrant workers from other states stranded in Bengal due to the lockdown.
Sources further revealed that several other states have urged the Bengal government to make arrangements for sending these migrant workers home.
“We are exploring both the options of sending them back home via road or through train. We have requested the railways for a special train for sending back these workers,” sources said.
The state government has already sent back 1000 migrant workers from Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar to their home states.
The development comes days after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government will leave no stones unturned to bring back people from Bengal who are stranded in other states due to the lockdown.