Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 2: Workers who have migrated from different states and districts in search of greener pastures have been stranded in various places without work due to lockdown rules. Since the last about six weeks they have no income, and find it hard to get one meal every day for self and family. The government has now made arrangements to send them back to their homes but the ticket prices are enough to scare them out of their wits.

Since Saturday morning, about 600 migrant workers have come together at the KSRTC bus stand at Majestic here. They are now allowed to travel to their home districts by the government. Everyone's health is checked and each one of them is allowed to board the buses after they undergo thermal screening.

Representational image

In order to maintain social distance, every bus is now allowed to carry only 30 passengers. But KSRTC, perhaps to compensate or this loss, has almost doubled its fare. KSRTC also points out that when returning, the buses will run empty. The fare has been calculated on the basis of cost factor as per which trip to Bagalkot from here will cost Rs 1,311, Ballari Rs 884, Bidar Rs 1,984 and Belagavi Rs 1,478.

The workers are under compulsion to hurry back to their homes, and at the same time, they find it hard to feed the families. Now the bus fares have come as a bolt from the blue. There has been a demand to ferry the migrant workers to their home districts free of cost.

The workers are being transported to their homes from the city and other districts since the last three days through KSRTC buses. Yesterday, 860 workers travelled from here in 28 buses.