This story is from May 22, 2020

Hemant seeks Shah nod for flights to rescue migrants stranded in Andamans, Ladakh, NE

Hemant seeks Shah nod for flights to rescue migrants stranded in Andamans, Ladakh, NE
Ranchi: Chief minister Hemant Soren has asked Union home minister Amit Shah for permission to operate special chartered flights to Ladakh, Andaman and Nicobar and some northeastern states to bring back the people of Jharkhand stranded in these states and Union Territories. A large number of migrants from Jharkhand work to construct roads in these areas.
In a letter to the ministry of home affairs dated May 20, released by the CMO on Thursday, Soren said, “Around 200 workers (from Jharkhand) are stranded in various parts of Ladakh since the lockdown was imposed on March 25.
Around 450 are stranded in northeastern states. My office is receiving distress calls from them every day. Due to the difficult terrain of these states, it is extremely difficult to evacuate them by train or bus.”
Soren also reminded Shah that he had sent another letter recently seeking permission to rescue stranded migrants from Andaman and Nicobar islands through special flights. The proposal is awaiting clearance from the MHA, Soren said, adding, “We request you to expedite the process of granting permission so that we can start rescue works immediately.”
Though the letter does not mention who will bear the cost of operating these special flights, sources in the state government said that the state is prepared to pay to bring back its citizens.
An official said, “The state government has already announced that it will not take a penny from stranded migrants. It is natural that the state will bear the cost of operating these special flights. We are waiting for a clearance from the Centre to speed up our ground work and reach out to those stranded in various parts of the country.”
Of about 6.5 lakh migrants who have registered with the state government seeking a return home, 1.5 lakh have so far been brought back through special trains and buses from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan among others. Earlier this week, the state government also cleared a central proposal to operate 76 more special trains to bring back stranded migrants.
Meanwhile, many distressed workers are reaching home on foot and cycles covering thousands of kilometres even though the state government is trying its best to curb such travel within the jurisdiction of the state by trying to make transportation arrangements for them.
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About the Author
ASRP Mukesh

ASRP Mukesh holds over 15 years of journalistic experience. He covers government, politics, human interest stories from Jharkhand.

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