Over 100 migrant labourers create uproar at Chirchari
| Date :02-Apr-2020 |
Migrant workers at Timer Depot Chirchari in Rajnandgaon district.
Staff Reporter
RAIPUR,
Over 500 migrant workers are staying at Timber Depot Chirchari in Chhuria block of Rajnandgaon district amid opposition from local people
Apr 1 Hundreds of migrant workers, who have been staying in a camp at Timber Depot Chirchari in Chhuria block of Rajnandgaon district due to the nationwide lockdown, created uproar at Chirchari on Wednesday when Rajnandgaon district administration prevented the migrant workers from moving out and asked them to stay in the camp. When the migrant labourers started leaving the camp for their homes, the district administration was forced to deploy security forces to stop the migrant workers. The labourers requested Rajnandgaon administration to give them permission to go to their homes and if they are not allowed they will die of hunger.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Dongargaon Virendra Singh tried convincing the migrant workers to stay in the camp, saying that all facilities like medical and food would be provided by the district administration. Speaking to The Hitavada over telephone, Rajnandgaon Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) B P Singh confirmed that around 50 labourers from Chhattisgarh and 450 labourers from Jharkhand have been made to stay at the Timber Depot Chirchari.
“Today, over 100 migrant labourers, hailing from Jharkhand created uproar for allowing them to go to their home. But the district administration didn’t allow them to go to their home and security personnel were deployed to stop the migrant workers at the camp,” said the DFO. The district administration has arranged food and medical facilities for over 500 migrant workers, who have come from Gujarat and Maharashtra, at the camp, he added. Medical check-ups of the migrant labourers are being done in the camp daily and these labourers are being provided food. Hundreds of migrant labourers are being brought to the camp in vehicles from Maharashtra for last few days.
The migrant labourers are being dropped in buses in Rajnandgaon district bordering Maharashtra. However, local people are opposing to allow the migrant workers to stay in Rajnandgaon district. Even the local people blocked road and demanded the district administration not to allow the migrant labourers to stay in the district. It may be mentioned that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has appealed to migrant workers not to leave the state in the wake of the 21-day lockdown, saying that the migrant workers are our guest. Baghel said that Chhattisgarh state government has made sufficient arrangements for the migrant workers. The State government has set up camps at various places to accommodate hundreds of migrant workers walking back home due to the coronavirus lockdown. It may be noted that Central government has already directed the states to arrange food and other facilities for the people hit by the lockdown.