The joy of 1,413 migrants workers knew no bounds when a Shramik Rail special carrying them left Chittoor for Bhadrak in Odisha at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. The workers were held up at various places in the district following COVID-19 lockdown since March 24.
The special train was scheduled to leave Chittoor on Saturday, but was cancelled in the backdrop of Visakhapatnam gas leak incident. A group of about 500 workers who were mustered from the Tirupati urban limits were shifted to the shelters at Chittoor, facilitating their journey on Wednesday. Similarly, the workers hailing from various parts of Odisha and working at different places in Chittoor district were made to register their names through Spandana website by revenue officials, and e-passes issued.
Collector Narayana Bharat Gupta said three days prior to their journey, all the migrant workers underwent tests for COVID-19. The workers who boarded the train were subjected to thermal scanning at the entrance of the railway station. They were instructed to strictly follow social distancing norms and sanitisation of hands. Food packets and drinking water was provided to them, while in course of their journey, their requirements would be met at specified halting stations en route, the official said.
As the train rolled out, jubilant workers waved their hands to the revenue, police and medical officials on the platform. The workers expressed their wish to return to Chittoor once the lockdown was lifted and things improved. The personnel of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) escorted the train.
