'Missing their native place': Hyderabad cops intercept lorry carrying 80 migrant workers

As the lockdown in the country has been extended, migrant workers who are stuck in different parts of the country will have to wait longer to reach their native place. Many of them are still trying despite the states sealing their borders for passenger travels. In a fresh incident, the Hyderabad police stopped a truck carrying 80 migrant workers back to their native place in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday.

'We have assured them to provide food'

Chandra Shekar Reddy, Inspector, Golkonda police station said, "At 9 pm, a goods lorry with Madhya Pradesh license plate, carrying 40 labourers from Tolichowki area and rest from Afzal Gunj was stopped at the check post here." "They said they were attempted to leave because the lockdown has been extended and they were missing their native place. We convinced them not to try such measures and risk their lives, we have assured them to provide food and rations," Reddy said while speaking to news agency ANI.

"We don't have food to eat neither work from the past few days. We came here to do some work. We bought tomatoes and some ration with the little amount we had saved. Staying here is of no use, while we can get some ration in our home town with our ration card," said Jishan Lal Thakre, a labourer. The nationwide lockdown has been extended to May 3 for preventing the further spread of COVID-19. Migrant workers, from states such as Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, among others have been stranded in big cities.

Apart from the regular shelter homes, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has set up 13 temporary homes to accommodate as many workers as possible. Depending on the size and location, the number of inmates at these homes varies from 20 to 300. According to a report, following the State government’s directions to extend rice and cash, the municipal corporation has distributed rice and cash to over 39,000 workers till Wednesday.

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As many as 50 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Telangana on Thursday, taking the number of active cases in the state cumulatively to 496. No death occurred on Thursday and the number of people who succumbed to the virus remained at 18, a state government bulletin said.

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(With agency inputs)