Rajasthan’s Ashok Gehlot government has launched ‘No to on foot movement’ to ensure that each migrant labourer reaches home safely and is screened for COVID-19.
Under this initiative, the officials have been asked to pick migrant labourers found walking to native places and put them in buses deployed for the purpose.
So far, 52 buses have ferried over 1,500 labourers found walking their way to home. They are also provided food packets and bottled water for travel, and also shelter.
Most such migrants were spotted on the highways near Jaipur, Dausa and Bharatpur.
Chief Minister Gehlot had earlier made an appeal to the migrant workers and had requested them not to leave without following the guidelines that could pose a threat to them as well as their families and had informed that arrangements were being made for them.
State government has also set up temporary shelters at several schools in Bhusavar, Vair, Dehra Mod and Lulhara for the buses coming from Jaipur. For buses from Dausa, camps have been set up at Behnera, Barso and Mai Gujar.
The migrant labourers are housed in these shelters till further arrangements for their transport are made.
The District Collectors, RSRTC and other officials of the SDM level are monitoring the situation on ground and interacting with the labourers every day.
“They picked us on the way to home. We are being given water and food. They are taking care of us, they screen us and give us food packets,” said a labourer while boarding a bus near Dausa.
