Stuck in Bengaluru, thousands of Assam migrants wait for return

Bengaluru: Migrants wait at the Bengaluru City Railway Station to board trains to their respective hometowns during the fifth phase of the nationwide lockdown imposed to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

Bengaluru, (Samajweekly) Around 4,000 Assamese migrants workers struggled to return home as they assembled at the Palace Grounds here but had no information for any possible train journey to their state on Friday.

“This is a colossal failure of the administration. Nobody is taking charge because they are migrant workers. Not important enough,” complained a volunteer helping the stuck migrants.

The migrants had assembled to catch a train for Assam after six days.

Though the formalities to transport the migrants to the designated railway station was supposed to start by 11 am, no Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) official was present at the centre at 9 am, even as many had already assembled there.

“Nothing has been arranged. The hall in which we have to assemble has no electricity, no bathrooms, no water, no arrangement and no official is present,” complained volunteer Rosemary Vishwanath.

She asked the officials to provide a helpline and advanced information to avert chaos.

Many migrants were seen running helter-skelter at the Palace Grounds while lugging their luggage.

Meanwhile, the Shramik Special train scheduled for Guwahati was yet to depart.

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