AP CM directs officials to bring home-bound migrant labourers to relief centres to arrange for their further journey

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], May 17 (ANI): Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday directed the state officials to arrange buses for the home-bound migrant labourers and take them to the nearest relief centres which will take care for their further journey.
"The Chief Minister has given instructions to take care of the migrant labourers who are walking long distances to reach their native states. He has directed the officials to arrange buses on the highway to pick them up and take them to the nearest relief centres. The detailed orders are given through circular memos 43 and 43A dated May 14 and 16, respectively," the government of Andhra Pradesh said in a press note.
"All the police check-posts are provided with staff from the revenue department to counsel the migrant labour to come to relief centres with a promise to send them by Shramik Special trains. 79 food counters have been put up along the NH to give them food and water," the government added.
The press note further said: "Collectors have been asked to put banners on highways in Oriya and Hindi explaining the arrangements done for the migrant labourers. Once they reach the relief centre, instructions are given that people belonging to Andhra Pradesh are to be sent to their native districts by APSRTC buses free of cost. Similarly, the people belonging to other States will be sent through the Shramik trains duly transporting them to the embarkation points free of cost."
The officer responsible for the coordination of these activities is K Harshavardhan, Director, Social Welfare Department. He is coordinating with all District Nodal Officers at relief centres. He will in turn coordinate with Kanna Babu, Commissioner, State Disaster Management Authority and Arja Srikant, IRTS Special Secretary to Government for tying up these migrant labour with Shramik trains.
"During the last three days, around 4,661 migrant labourers have been stopped at various check-posts and sent to 62 relief centres. Out of them, 485 people were walking to various districts of Andhra Pradesh. The rest of them belong to other states, maximum being from Odisha (966), Bihar (815), UP (1012), Jharkhand (576), Chhattisgarh (331) and other states," the government said.
As per the directions given by CM Reddy, arrangements are being made to transport the migrant labourers belonging to Odisha by buses. Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh, Nilam Sawhney had detailed discussion with Chief Secretary of Odisha and it was agreed to receive the migrant labourers of Odisha at Ganjam with prior intimation," it added.
The government further said: "Yesterday night, we had transported 902 migrant labourers to Odisha from Prakasam (470), Krishna (410) and Srikakulam (22). Today, we are sending 450 persons from Guntur and are making arrangements to send the people of Odisha to Ganjam in our APSRTC buses."
"We had already arranged 31 Shramik trains from Andhra Pradesh transporting 39,000 people to different destinations as of today - 9 for Bihar, 5 for Odisha, 4 for UP, 4 for Jharkhand, 4 for Rajasthan, 3 for Maharastra and one each for Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. We will be running 5 trains for 7,500 people today. We have planned another 22 Shramik trains during this week for 33,000 people and NoCs from the receiving states is being pursued," it added. (ANI)