The the fear of contracting coronavirus infection among migrant workers are likely to impact the Polavaram project works. More than 1,000 migrant labourers engaged at work sites staged a protest, demanding that the government must send them back to their home States.
The officials tried to pacify the protesters, but to no avail. Finally, they assured the labourers that they would take the matter to the notice of the government and provide all facilities including transportation by duly following the COVID-19.
Many workers left sites
More than 2,150 workers from Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Chhattisgarh and other States are working at Polavaram sites. Some workers have been demanding to send them back to their native places and stopped the works.
“With the Centre extending the lockdown till May 17, about 500 migrant labourers have walked to the nearby railway stations in the last few days. They have been urging the oficials to arrange transportation to reach their native villages. A few workers have reportedly left the site,” said an officer.
West Godavari Collector Revu Mutyala Raju and SP Navdeep Singh Grewal visited the Polavaram project sites on Friday and reviewed the situation. They held discussions with the revenue, labour, police and plant officials and the labourers. The officials assured to provide them with sanitisers, masks, accommodation facilities and food. But, the workers insisted that they be sent home.
Speaking to The Hindu, Eluru Range DIG K.V. Mohan Rao said that the situation was under control at Polavaram now.
“As the labourers want to go home, the officers have assured to take the matter to the notice of the government and arrange for transportation. The officials have started enrolling the names of the labourers, along with their native places and family details. Medical camps will be set up to conduct COVID-19 tests and arrangements are being made to arrange Shramik Special Trains for them,” a labour officer said.
Irrigation Minister P. Anil Kumar Yadav visited the project site a few days ago and reviewed the spillway, cofferdam and other works.
