Gujarat: Migrants block highway in Kutch, pelt stones

The plight of migrant workers is growing amidst COVID-19 in the country as they remain the worst affected group following the pandemic. Agitated workers in Kutch area of Gujarat blocked highways and pelted stones at police officials demanding repatriation.

Gandhidham:Desperate to travel to their home states amidst the coronavirus-induced lockdown, hundreds of migrant workers blocked a main highway passing through Gandhidham town in Gujarat's Kutch district and pelted stones.

According to reports, the migrant workers from Bihar claimed that though they had finished the necessary registration process but there was no response from the administration about their repatriation.

The stone pelting damaged the windscreen of a truck besides forcing vehicles to stop near a cargo area on the Gandhidham-Kandla highway. The police however, reassured the workers that they will be sent home as the state administration got the nod to operate a special train.

After a train was dispatched from Gandhidham to Bihar, the remaining workers, who were left behind, came out on streets protesting.

In a video of the incident, police personnel can be seen rushing towards the mob and Kutch-East superintendent of police Parikshita Rathod asking migrants to calm down using a loud speaker mounted on a police vehicle.

"Out of frustration, these migrants came out and blocked the highway. The windscreen of a truck got damaged in stone pelting," said an official of Kutch-East police control room.

Gandhidham-B division Police Inspector SS Desai said the situation was under control now and the highway is operational amid tight security.

(With inputs from IANS)