90% Migrant Workers Stranded in Goa Want to Return Home

PANAJI:
Nearly 90 per cent of the migrant workers from other states stranded in Goa ever since the lockdown from March 24, want to return to their native places, the state government”s State Executive Committee said on Monday.

“Director of Panchayat informed that data collection is going on in all panchayats. Out of the over 30,000 labourers that were contacted by the village panchayats, about 90 per cent have expressed a desire to go back to their home state,” a statement issued by the committee said.

The committee is headed by Chief Secretary Parimal Rai and is responsible for overseeing Covid-19 management and relief work in the state. Speaking to reporters on Monday Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that nearly 80,000 stranded migrant workers had registered to return to their home states.

“Around 80,000 migrant workers have registered. The first train carrying migrants from Goa is expected to leave in two days,” Sawant said, adding that modalities for the inter-state movement of workers were being worked out.

Migrant workers from Karnataka top the list of the stranded labour force in Goa, followed by those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.