'A wonderful job': South Delhi DM facilitates return of 1,200 stranded workers to Bihar

The Delhi government since the last few days is busy arranging for ways and means to help stranded migrant workers board respective home-bound vehicles while maintaining error-free data. This comes after the Central government announced running of special trains and buses to help the migrant workers amid Coronavirus lockdown 3.0.

'After segregation of data, we wrote to concerned states'

On Sunday, 1200 migrant workers who were working in three separate construction sites in Delhi's South district successfully boarded Bihar-bound trains. Meanwhile, in the morning, 15 people went to Punjab from the ISBT bus terminus.

Brijmohan Mishra, District Magistrate of South Delhi, speaking to news agency ANI said, "Situation got worse day before yesterday and we immediately decided to call for the consent of the state with the help of state nodal officer. We have to make entire arrangements in a very short notice of just two days."

One of the biggest challenges faced by the DM office is getting the details of these people. "Their names, phone numbers, which state, city and town they belong to - all the data was compiled and segregated state wise. After segregation we wrote to the concerned states," he added.

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The construction companies, which were keen to shift them to their native places, helped in mobilising buses and arranging railway ticket fares. As per the knowledge of South District Magistrate approximately 2,700 people were stranded in construction sites out of which around 1,600 to 1,700 were from Bihar alone.

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The South Delhi DM said, "As and when we are receiving the consent of the other states, we are making arrangements for that immediately. People from Bihar are stranded in large numbers and thus a second train will also leave for Bihar with the migrants. All our officers are doing a wonderful job, and I wish the people in distress a very happy journey."

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 1, issued an order to extend the ongoing lockdown by two more weeks from May 4 and also allowed the movement of migrant workers, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places, by special trains.

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(With ANI inputs)