Two ‘Shramik Express’ trains bring 2,300 migrant workers from Kerala & Gujarat to Odisha

Two 'Shramik Special' trains carrying around 2,300 migrant Odia workers stranded in Kerala and Gujarat due to nationwide lockdown reached Odisha on Sunday, officials said.

While first train carrying around 1,150 labourers reached Jagannathpur and Khurda Road railway stations in Ganjam and Khurda districts, respectively in morning, or train from Surat in Gujarat arrived at Jagannathpur in evening, y said.

migrant workers, who mostly work in construction and fishing sectors in Ernakulam district of Kerala, had boarded train from Aluva on Friday evening, while labourers engd in textile mills in Surat left western state on Saturday.

Around 560 passengers of train from Kerala who hail from sourn Odisha districts, including Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput and Nabarangpur alighted at Jagannathpur, remaining got down at Khurda Road Railway Station, y said.

Those who alighted at Khurda Road where Kerala train terminated were sent to districts like Kendrapara, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Khurda, Bhadrak and Cuttack, officials said.

passengers of special train from Surat mostly hailed from south Odisha. A majority of m were from Ganjam district.

passengers, including women and children, were screened and given certification for journey before boarding trains in Kerala and Surat, y said.

“ Ganjam district administration has made elaborate arrangements to take labourers to different quarantine centres by buses after preliminary screening. Security was tightened in station,” SP (Ganjam) Brijesh Rai said.

Steps were taken to ensure that workers strictly observed social distancing rms after ir arrival at railway stations, y said, adding all workers were wearing masks and stood inside circles marked on platform.

workers were received by government officials.

y were given food packets and stamped with indelible ink on ir right hands to highlight that y had returned from ar state before boarding special buses for quarantine centres, officials said.

travellers from Kerala, who had registered mselves with state government's portal, hail from 23 of Odisha's 30 districts.

highest number of those who returned are from Kandhamal district (382), followed by 283 from Kendrapara and 130 from Ganjam.

general public and journalists were t allowed inside railway stations at time of ir arrival to avoid any health risk, an official said.

Odisha government has made arrangements for bringing back more migrant workers from Kerala by special trains. se trains will halt at stipulated railway stations, from where migrants will go to ir vills along with respective panchayat officials and will be placed under quarantine for 14 days, official said.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thanked his Kerala counterpart Pinarayi Vijayan for taking good care of stranded people during lockdown and cooperating with Odisha government to ensure ir safe return.

Patnaik also commended role of Ganjam district administration and police for smooth handling of workers at Jagannathpur Railway Station. He thanked different government departments for "meticulous planning and precision" in completing first leg of 'Operation Subha Yatra', state administration's endeavour to facilitate return of stranded migrant workers.

READ: Coronavirus Live Updates: Armed Forces Pay Tribute To COVID Warriors Ahead Of Lockdown 3.0