First train with migrant labourers from Rajasthan arrives in Bengal

Kolkata,05 May(HS): Amid huge controversy regarding the collection of a part of train fares from these hapless poor by the authorities for returning home, a total of nearly 2,600  daily labourers returned to West Bengal from Ajmer Sharif in Rajasthan this afternoon providing huge relief to their families besides ending their month-long miseries.

As soon as the passengers from this special train, which left Ajmer yesterday morning (and not today as announced earlier) reached Asansol, Durgapur and Dankuni junctions before reaching Howrah station at around 1 PM this afternoon, these migrant labourers along with some students and pilgrims, who also returned in the same train maintaining the necessary social distancing in each of the 24 compartments,  got down in batches. Soon they were welcomed with rose petals.

At every station, they were first tested with thermal screening to determine whether they were having running temperature before they were fully sanitised with a safe chemical mix.

Each of the passengers was also handed over the necessary details by Help desks at every station informing them about how to remain in quarantine for the next two weeks.

From the station, they were sent to the necessary quarantine centres in nearby areas to stay there till 18 May where they will be provided food and other facilities free of cost.

However, it is still not yet known whether anybody was found having running temperature as one of the early symptoms of Coronavirus. Since there was a facility of any swap test at any station,  it was also not yet known whether anybody tested positive of the disease so far.

A similar train carrying another about 3,000 migrants workers and others from Thiruvantpuram in the Southernmost state of Kerala is also scheduled to arrive  Howrah station here by tonight. Like the passengers from Ajmer, all people in that train too would undergo thermal screening and some other tests before proceeding to a two-week-long quarantine.

While the Indian Railways has announced to cover 85 per cent of the total cost of these long train journeys, the state government has been asked to pay the remaining 15 per cent cost.

Earlier huge controversy in social media erupted after it was stated that the hapless migrant labourers had to pay a portion of the train fare in the state from where they were coming.