MARGAO: It is sad but true, many business men and influential persons from Goa after holding back their migrant labourers and workers during the lockdown days have now asked them to leave for their homes. These labourers are now accommodated at the new Fatorda Stadium shelter. However there are worries that many more may join them.
Investigations revealed that migrants working in stone quarries, sand extraction and construction sites were employed in houses of their owners and have now been asked to leave. The workers have been asked to book tickets on their own and go to their native places as the Government has not requisitioned any more Shramik trains.
Labourers who are quietly left at Margao by the employers are left to fend for themselves. Several labourers and migrants mostly from Jharkhand and Bihar are seen loitering around the Fatorda stadium, Navelim New Indoor stadium which are shelter homes. These migrants with their kids some who are as small as 1 and 2 years have now been housed in the Fatorda stadium.
Earlier last week the South Goa District Administration said even though the number of migrants was more, some trains had to leave from Margao with less bogies of passengers.
An officer said, “It’s not a small and cheap task to arrange for trains to North India and that too free of cost. If the trains are going to go empty then they should rather be stopped.”
