Chennai: Migrant workers in huge numbers were seen outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Sunday amid COVID-19 lockdown.
Workers had gathered at the stadium to board buses to the Chennai Central railway station to further board into a 'Shramik Special' train to Uttar Pradesh. Police officials deployed here to control the mass gathering.
Earlier in the day, scores of migrant labourers gathered outside Chennai Central Railway Station on Sunday after receiving the information that the government is running Shramik Special trains for their home states.
These migrants were stopped a kilometre away from the railway station by the local police for not possessing valid tickets to catch the trains. They were asked to submit their information and the destination where they wanted to go.
"From the past 1.5 months, I am getting food from my owner. But now, even he is having trouble to provide me food everyday. I now want to return to my hometown in West Bengal. I want to catch the train as earliest as possible," said Anwar, a migrant labour while speaking to ANI. Some of the poor migrants were also seen taking shelter under the tree as they walked for miles to reach the railway station from their shelters.
The Central government has said that the Indian Railways is ready to run Shramik Special trains from all the districts connected by it to ensure safer and quicker transportation of migrants. Union Minister of Railways Piyush Goyal has asked the District Collectors of the country to prepare a list of stranded labourers and destination, and apply it to railways through State nodal officer.
Indian Railways has got the capacity to run almost 300 Shramik special trains a day. (ANI)
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