Will Ensure No Migrant Has To Travel On Foot: Odisha DGP

Bhubaneswar: The picture of a child fast asleep on a luggage trolley and being pulled by his mother is one among many vivid images of the plight of migrant workers who are facing difficulties in reaching their homes due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Lakhs of migrants across the country are forced to undertake arduous journeys on foot as the lockdown has made it difficult for them to reach their homes.

Realising the problems being faced by migrant workers, Odisha government has now extended a helping hand. As per decision, Odisha government will make necessary arrangements at the 12 border checkpoints in the State for ensuring that no migrant worker walks home on foot.

Odisha DGP Abhay informed that “As Odisha Police is in the overall charge at the border checkpoints, we are making separate arrangements for those people who intend to go to several other places in Odisha or for those using the State as a transit route only.”

We want to ensure that no migrant returning from outside states will have to walk after passing through any border checkpoints in Odisha; proper arrangements will be made for their travel & also for those leaving the state: #Odisha DGP pic.twitter.com/NlpoiQ8z8I

— OTV (@otvnews) May 15, 2020

According to Abhay, once a person reaches any identified checkpoint either on foot or cycle, we are making transport arrangements to send them home. The entire cost of their transport will be met from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

At present, Odisha Police has made special provisions at three check points- Girisola, Kerada and Sohela as it was found that most of the migrant movement is from South to North. Mostly migrants from West Bengal, Jharkhand are reaching Girisola and we are sending them to their respective State border in buses with necessary provision of food. Apart from this, several migrants are using the Kerada route and we sending them to Kalahandi and others are being sent to Chhattisgarh and beyond.

“We urge the migrants, who are stranded in Odisha, to reach nearest police station so that arrangements can be made to send them to their nearest destination point in Odisha. If anybody’s destination is Ranchi, we will drop them at Jharkhand border and if their destination point is West Bengal, we will drop them at Laxmanath check point,” said Abhay.

Abhay further stated that special bus arrangements have been made for migrants who are stranded in Cuttack, Khurda and Bhubaneswar from today.

So far, 1,349 buses and 4,372 four-wheelers have passed through 12 border checkpoints in Odisha.

52 migrant labour of Malda, Murshidabad and Kolkata were found walking towards their home .They were sent by bus today afternoon ,paid for by CMRF money ,by Khorda police to Laxmannath BCP .Good work Khorda Police . pic.twitter.com/gG1Y0Lr5dN

— DGP, Odisha (@DGPOdisha) May 15, 2020

While responding to a question by a journalist on the steps taken by the Centre for those who are already on the move on foot, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said, "It is up to the states to look after them. There is a tug in my heart when I see those pictures. State governments should provide cooked food."