Chhendipada: Four migrant labourers from Rengali area in Angul district alleged that they had to walk almost all the way home from Boudh district after finishing their quarantine period.
The workers, identified as Prashant Patra, Mahesh Sharma, Anand Dash and Duryodhan Behera, alleged that the administration did nothing to send them back home after they completed their quarantine periods in two centres in Boudh and Athgarh areas.
These labourers said they used to work as construction workers at Siddipet in Telangana. The lockdown rendered them jobless. Their employer drove them out without paying their dues after a month into lockdown.
“Left with no option, we decided to go home on foot. After we reached Motu area in Malkangiri district, we took a bus to Boudh. The Boudh administration took us to a quarantine centre. But, after two days we were asked to leave. We had to walk again and reached Athmalik. We were taken to Nilakanthpada quarantine centre where we spent ten days,” Prashant said.
“The Athmallik administration instead of making any arrangements to send us home asked us to go on our own,” he alleged.
They again resumed the strenuous journey. At about 10 am Friday when they were walking along Budhapal-Chhendiapada road they felt tired and lied down by the roadside.
Some local people informed the police about their presence following which Chhendipada police station inspector-in-charge Kanak Majhi approached them and then sent them in an auto-rickshaw to Rengali.
They alleged the government has been claiming that there are schemes and arrangements to send migrant labourers home after they have completed the quarantine period. But the ground reality tells a different story.
“The administrative officers are least concerned about the plight one has to go through after being discharged from quarantine centres,” Mahesh rued.
When contacted, Athmallik block development officer (BDO) Sanjay Acharya feigned ignorance about the plight of the four. He said he would investigate into the allegations.
When questioned about any provision to make arrangements to send such people back home, he said there has been no such direction. The qurantinees who have completed quarantine have only been allowed to go home, he added.
