AMARAVATI: In a big relief to migrant labourers, the Andhra Pradesh government arranged for free transportation of 902 migrants to their native places in Odisha. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy instructed authorities to come to the rescue migrants who are walking on the road to reach their native places.

Officials said the government arranged free buses and transported 470 migrant labourers belonging to Odisha from Prakasam in 10 buses, 410 migrants from Krishna district in 16 buses, and 22 from Srikakulam in another bus on Saturday night.

Similarly, arrangements were made to send 450 migrants from Guntur belonging to Odisha and 52 from Krishna to Ganjam on road through APSRTC buses.

This comes after Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Neelam Sawhney had discussions with the Chief Secretary of Odisha who agreed to receive migrant labourers at Ganjam in Odisha.

In a review meeting held by the CM on the arrangements being made by the state to send migrants to their native states, authorities said, in the past three days, nearly 4,661 migrants were stopped at checkpoints who are heading to their native places on foot and shifted to 62 relief camps set up by the government.

It is reported that five Shramik trains were arranged to carry about 7,500 migrants to their destination. The government also planned another 22 Shramik trains during this week for carrying 33,000 migrants.

As of now, 31 Shramik trains left Andhra Pradesh carrying 39,000 people to different states including nine to Bihar, five to Odisha, four each to UP, Jharkhand and Rajasthan, three to Maharashtra and one each to Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, officials told the CM. YS Jagan asked officials to ensure that the migrants are provided with food, water, and all basic facilities.

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