Food Kits, Drinking Water And Sanitizer, How Kerala Sent Off Its First Batch Of 'Guest Workers'
After being stranded for over a month due to the lockdown, millions of migrant workers across the country have started returning their homes, after specials trains began ferrying them.?
The first special train from Kerala carrying some 1100 guest workers, as they are called in Kerala left for Bhubaneswar in Odisha from Aluva railway station on Saturday.?
The guest workers who were screened for COVID-19 symptoms were provided with two meals, water bottles, and hand sanitizers as they boarded the coaches, maintaining social distancing. The Kerala government had also made provisions for hot meals onboard the train during the journey.?
This is the second special train in the country to transport the stranded migrant workers across the country following Covid lockdown. The first special train left Telangana for Jharkhand at around 4.40 am on Friday, carrying 1,200 people from Lingampally in the southern state to Hatia district in Jharkhand.?
The first batch of passengers who reached Ganjam district on Sunday was welcomed at the JNP station.All the returnees were screened by the health team at the station while maintaining social distancing.?
"Welcome to home.. first train from Kerala arrived at JNP station, Ganjam. All returnees were screened by health team. Thanks to all members of Ganjam team..Big Support from secretary H&UD, Odisha CMO and Health, and Family Welfare Department," Collector and District Magistrate, Ganjam tweeted.?
A second train has also departed from Kerala to Odisha.?
A train carrying around 1,100 stranded 'guest workers' from Jharkhand has also started its journey from Kerala.Another train carrying 1,140 migrants have left for Danapur in Bihar.?
There are an estimated 2.5 migrant workers in Kerala, coming mostly from states like Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.?
With such a high number of 'guest workers' Kerala had opened 4,603 relief camps across the state to house them following the lockdown, and had provided them with free food and other necessities.?
For nearly two decades the unskilled laborers coming from across the country have been the mainstay of the workforce in Kerala ranging from the construction sector to factories and even agriculture.Several factors including comparatively higher wages, better living conditions and the ease to find work have attracted millions of unskilled workers from across the country to Kerala over the years.?
Kerala is also the only state to launch welfare schemes, medical insurance coverage, education and housing for migrant registered migrant workers and their families.? ?
