Vijayawada: 2nd train with migrant workers leaves for Maharashtra

Vijayawada: The second special train, Sramik Express, arranged by the Indian Railways for the migrant workers left from Rayanapadu Railway station near Vijayawada for Maharashtra with 1,004 workers in the early hours of Wednesday.

These workers were held up in Gampalagudem mandal of Krishna district due to lockdown. Every year, workers from Maharashtra, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh come to Western Krishna for harvesting chilli and return to their respective States in March. But, due to Covid-19 lockdown, these migrant workers were stranded in Krishna district for more than 40 days.

The State government held talks with the Maharashtra government and arranged the special trains to send them back their home State. The firs train was left on Tuesday morning and the second train in the early hours of Tuesday. These migrant workers were brought in buses from Gamapalagudem mandal to the Railway station.

Drinking water bottles, biscuits, masks and sanitisers were arranged by the officials.

Joint Collector K Madhavi Latha, Sub-Collector H M Dhyana Chandra, Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager A Srinivas and others supervised the arrangements.

These migrant workers were eager to return to their native place Vadsa in Maharashtra. Speaking on the occasion, the Joint Collector said four tahsildars, four mandal development officers, the VROs, the volunteers and others participated in the work. She said the remaining 553 migrant workers of Maharashtra will be sent very soon.