J'khand CM seeks help from industries, corporates to bring back migrants

 Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday appealed to industries and corporate houses to help bring back migrant workers stranded in other states, even as his government ferried over 4.5 lakh of them in trains, buses and even chartered flights during the lockdown.

The government had recently flown 180 migrants from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands by a state-sponsored chartered plane, while 60 were brought from Leh by another special flight at the state government's cost.

More than 4.5 lakh of the approximately 7.5 lakh registered workers from Jharkhand have so far returned to their native places in different parts of the state.

"Even now, several Jharkhand people are stranded in far-off places. My humble request to all industries and corporate houses is to help the state government in bringing home those who desire to return," a statement quoted Soren as saying.

The first special train carrying over 1,200 Jharkhand migrant labourers had reached its destination Hatia on May 1 from Telangana.

Since then, a number of trains carrying migrants from various parts of the country came to the state. Many of migrant came in buses arranged by the state government.

The CM had approached Union Home Minister Amit Shah on May 21, seeking permission to fly migrants stuck in far-off places like Ladakh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Northeast, from where they cannot be transported back home in trains or buses.