Five trains from Kerala ferry guest workers to respective states

Thiruvananthapuram: At least 5,700 stranded guest workers from Bihar, Odisha and Jharkhand were taken in five non-stop trains to their respective states from different railways stations in Kerala on Saturday.

Each train would carry only 1,140 passengers and follow COVID-19 guidelines of social distancing.

Five trains are expected to be operated from Kerala on Sunday and Monday also for the guest workers.

The stations and destinations are being worked out, Home Secretary Dr Vishwas Mehta, told P T I.

Around 1,100 workers from the state left from the state capital to Hatiain Jharkhand.

Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and District collector, K Gopalakrishan, were at the Centralstation here tosee off the workers.

The passengers were brought in KSRTC buses from their respective camps to the station after they were medically examined and found tobe asymptomatic for coronavirus.

The Collector said masks, sanitisers and soaps were given to the passengers to ensure they maintain personal hygiene.

Food packets were also distributed.

On Friday, a train left from Aluva near Kochi for Odisha with 1,110 passengers.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said hisOdisha counterpart Naveen Patnaik had called him and expressed his gratitude for providing all faciltiesfor the workers.

Vijayan informed him that the statewas expecting the migrant workers to return and promised that they would not have any problem if they wish to come back tokerala.

Four more trains left with the workers from Tirur, Kozhikode, Ernakulam and Aluva stations for Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.