Punjab: Now, advance paddy sowing makes migrants stay back

MOHALI: The Punjab government's decision to advance paddy transplantation by 10 days seems to be working in its favour, as it has made most migrants change their plan of leaving the state at the last minute. Another decision that appears to have reversed the huge exodus of migrants to their native places is allowing the opening of industries without any restrictions.

On an average, 40% of the total migrants who had registered to board the Shramik Express trains from Mohali decided to drop their travel plan at the last minute. Till date, against total registration of approximately 19,000 migrants from Mohali, 11,754 have left on nine Shramik Express trains for Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Mohali deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said that when the first train had left Mohali for Hardoi in UP on May 8, almost 30% of the migrants on the travel list had opted out and they had to upgrade the waiting list. "However, we managed," he said. So far, nine trains have departed from Mohali railway station, including two on Friday.

"In the first three trains, we saw shortfall of 30%, 50% and 35%, respectively. Given our service experience, we managed to fill up the on-time shortfall. We have calculated that on an average 35% to 40% migrants decided against boarding the trains at the last minute and their reason for doing so advance paddy transplant season and opening of industries. They said it had given them a ray of hope to earn in these dismal times. So, they decided against leaving Mohali," he said.

Rising to the challenge of sending over 60,000 migrants to their respective home towns, the district administration has successfully sent back nearly 15,000 in a week, including those by bus, he added.

"We have complied the data and prepared district-wise departure schedule for the entire population of outbound migrants. Initially, those districts were catered wherein large chunk of people wanted to go, like Hardoi, and thereafter people from multiple adjacent destinations are being sent in via special trains," Dayalan explained.

2 trains leave Mohali with 2,720 on board

Two trains left Mohali with 2,720 migrants on Friday. The morning train left with 1,392 passengers to Hardoi and the evening with 1,328 for Bettiah in Bihar. Besides, 734 migrants were taken to Sirhind railway station via buses to take the train to Katni in Madhya Pradesh, said DC Girish Dayalan. The district administration provided packed food packets, water and biscuits to migrants for their journey home.