Stuck without food & shelter, rue migrant labourers in Chandigarh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 30

Even as authorities have opened a shelter at a community centre in Maloya and closed its borders for migrants to leave the city, a number of labourers in different parts of city today rued having got stuck with no money, food or shelter.

A group of daily wagers from UP and Bihar at Dadu Majra colony while talking to Chandigarh Tribune, “Due to coronavirus, we are not getting work. We have no money left as we earn on a daily basis. We are forced to starve as no one has reached us yet. Neither we are allowed to leave this place nor do we have money or food to eat.”

Sushil Paswan, labourer from Bihar, said, “Sometimes, if a langar is organised here, a few of us are able to have food and others are still left out. We are about 600 migrant daily wagers who live in the colony. In our group, we are 13 persons living in a single 10’12 area room. We know social distancing is must but what can we do, we have no other option.”

It came to light that most of them did not know about the facility of shelter extended by the administration. “I think that is for those, who are stuck on roads and we are putting up on rent and that is different case we have no money or food to eat,” added Paswan.

Similarly, in Sector 27-B, about 30-40 labourers, who were involved in construction of bungalows, were a harried lot today. “After the coronavirus scare, we are asked to stop work and our contractor stopped paying us. We are closed inside these under constructed kothis with no ration, food or none,” shared one of the labourers.

With the administration deciding not to allow people to leave the city to curb the spread of the Covid-19, many migrants could not move out. Hardly any of them is aware about the administration’s shelter and food facility.

Meanwhile, a number of inter-state labourers were shifted at the newly opened shelter home in Maloya. DC Mandip Brar and SSP Nilambari Jagdale reviewed the arrangements.

Officials said this facility had been extended for those who are stranded or have nowhere to go. Those who are putting up at some or the other place will be provided food there only.