Migrant labourers pay hefty amounts to reach home

As harrowing tales on the plight of migrant workers continue to come from every nook and corner of the country, stranded labourers in Maharashtra are paying Rs 4,000-5,000 each to get into trucks and buses at the Bhiwandi-Nashik highway to return to their respective homes. Narayan Kashyap, a daily wager, spent all his savings to reach Madhya Pradesh. He told The Daily Guardian that he paid Rs 4,000 to board a truck to reach the state border. After reaching the border, he had to make further arrangements of transportation to reach his home town. Similarly, Amit Kumar, a 20-year-old electrician, paid Rs 5,000 to reach home to see his ailing mother. He paid the sum and got a small space in a truck. Truck drivers, who are driving migrants back to their native places, remained tight-lipped when asked about the hefty sum being charged from workers. In addition, they took no responsibility for passengers’ safety and gave no assurance to them.

The 43-year-old Yusuf Sayed, father of two girls, spent all his savings to reach home safely with his daughters. He said that after arranging the money, he’s now in debt. “My daughters are small and I cannot make them walk for miles. I do not want my daughters to feel the pain of poverty,” said Yusuf. Long and tedious process of registration has clearly caused worry among migrants. They are left with no option than to pay large amounts to get into trucks.