22,000 migrants return to Chhattisgarh so far by Shramik special trains

As many as 22,000 migrant workers have returned to Chhattisgarh from different states by Shramik Special trains till Monday, an official said.

The first train as part of the service arrived in the state on May 10.

Since then, 22,000 migrant labourers stranded in various parts of the country due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown have returned home by 15 such trains till Monday, a state public relations department official said.

So far, 2,73,935 people, including 2,51,867 labourers, from Chhattisgarh who are stuck in various parts of the country have registered on the online platform provided by the state government for their return, he said.

Till now, the Chhattisgarh government has given consent to run 45 special trains after coordinating with the states concerned to bring back these stranded people.

The state government has also paid around Rs 2 crore to the Railways as travel fare to ferry 34,284 people in 23 trains, he said.

Apart from trains, more than 60,000 migrant workers have returned to Chhattisgarh by other modes of transport and even on foot, he said.