Hyderabad, May 3 (IANS): Migrant workers from various states staged protests in Hyderabad and Ramagundam on Sunday, demanding the authorities send them back to their homes.
About 1,000 workers belonging to Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh and living in Mehdipatnam and Toli Chowki areas in Hyderabad came out on the roads, demanding transport arrangements to their respective states.
They gathered at Toli Chowki flyover and when police tried to stop them, they sat on the road, raising slogans. The flash protests led to mild tension in the area.
Deputy Commissioner of Police A.R. Srinivas rushed to the scene and tried to pacify the protestors. He advised the migrant workers to approach their nearest police station and register their names and other details. He assured that the details will be forwarded to the government for making necessary transport arrangements. Following the assurance, the workers peacefully dispersed.
Meanwhile, migrant workers also staged a protest in Ramagundam town of Peddapalli district, demanding that they be sent back to their respective states.
The migrants working in the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) plant in Ramagundam sat on state highway Rajiv Rahadari. Hailing from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh, the workers alleged that despite repeated requests the officials were not making any transport arrangements for them.
The workers had already registered their details at NTPC police station and since no action was taken on their request, they again reached the police station. As the police told them that it will take time for responding to their request, the workers numbering about 400 registered their protest by reaching the highway and staging a sit-in.
Ramagundam MLA Korukanti Chandar reached there and assured the workers that the transport arrangements will be made within two days. Following his assurance, the workers called off their protest.
Migrant workers in various parts of Hyderabad and surroundings and other districts in Telangana have been demanding that they be sent back to their respective states. Though the Telangana government is assuring them of supply of cooked food and all necessary help, the desperate workers are insisting on transport arrangements to carry them back to their native places.
There have been similar demands from several places ever since the Centre last week announced that the stranded migrants, students and tourists can return to their homes during the lockdown.
The first train for migrant workers in the country was operated from Lingampalli station near Hyderabad to Hatia in Jharkhand on Friday, carrying over 1,200 workers. They were all working as construction labourers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad at Kandi in Sangareddy district.