Vijayawada: 30,000 more migrants to be sent home

Vijayawada: Roads and Buildings Department Principal Secretary M T Krishna Babu said that the State government is taking up supportive measures for the migrant workers travelling to their native places by providing food and water along highways across the State.

Briefing the media on the aspects of migrant workers and foreign returnees here on Thursday, the Principal Secretary said that so far around 6,000 migrant workers have been stopped at the border checkpoints and sent to relief camps. As many as 27,458 migrants have been sent to their State through 24 Sramik Trains and 30,392 members who were sheltered in relief camps will be sent in 22 trains in the next 3-4 days, he added.

"During a review meeting, the Chief Minister instructed us to provide counselling for the migrants who are walking back to their States and accommodate them in relief camps, followed by transportation through shramik trains. With the help of NGOs, food and water will be supplied in sufficient quantities at a periodic distance on the highways for those going by walk." he said.

With regard to foreign returnees, about 1028 members from the gulf and other nations are coming back to State in nine flights between May 19 and May 27. All these people will be landing at Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada airports and will be sent to their respective district reception centres. They will be quarantined, paid or otherwise.