(Image source from: Hindustantimes.com)

The troubled migrants stuck due to the COVID-19 lockdown have finally got their chance to travel back home. But this costed them a bomb, and, they nearly had to give up more than half of their savings.

‘I paid Rs 655 for ticket from Rs 800 savings for journey back home’

On Monday, four Shramik Special trains operated and carried more than 4200 migrant workers of UP and their family members. Sadly, according to their wages, they were charged a bomb. The UP State Roadways Transport Corporation arranged for buses and took the responsibility of dropping these workers to their districts.

On Sunday, there were 200 trains started from Nashik and went till Gorakhpur. Besides, two trains from Lucknow and Vadodara halted at Lucknow. Overall, around 2000 workers traveling all the way from Ahmedabad and Nashik reached Lucknow and Kanpur.

To compensate for running empty during the return trip, Karnataka for the second day collected two-way charges from migrant workers. The State Government said that those who want to travel would need to pay for the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation fare and the fixed railway charges. Keeping in mind there would be 1200 passengers traveling.

‘I paid my employers Rs 700 for Transport’

Similar are the cases with migrants who want to go back home from every state. A few migrants had to pay a heavy cost to go back home with the humiliation and they don’t want to go back to those States.

From the railways point of view, they are losing money. They are charging normal fare even though the number of passengers they are carrying are quite less.

In this scenario, it is the State Governments who will decide on who pays for the cost. In a few places, the sending State is paying. In a few places, the receiving State is paying.

A Senior South West Railway official said, in Karnataka, fares collected from passengers are being paid to the railways.

By Neha Makhija