Gujarat industries urge govt to run special trains to bring back labours

Surat, June 11 (KNN) Gujarat industries which are struggling to run their factories full fledged due to migration of labours have demanded running of special trains to bring back migrant labourers from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha.

More than 20 lakh migrant workers have migrated from Gujarat to their native states after Railways initiated special ‘Shramik Trains’ in the wake of nationwide lockdown during May. 

The Federation of Industries & Association (FIA) — Gujarat has requested the state government to make appropriate arrangement to bring back migrant workers as early as possible. 

“Industries in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vapi and Ankleshwar areas are witnessing shortage of labourers. Currently most industrial units are functioning with hardly 30-40% workforce. But in case of meeting new demands, they would require labourers and for the purpose authorities should take immediate action,” Ajit Shah, Secretary, FIA, Gujarat has said.

Similarly, the South Gujarat Textile Processors Association has also said that it would not be possible to scale up production without migrant labourers. 

The association has even sent a letter to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar to make necessary arrangement to send labourers. “In order to bring back labourers, once again Shramik Trains should be run by the government,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ahmedabad has crossed 15,000-mark of Corona patients in the state with 343 cases of the 510 people who tested positive across the state being reported from here. 

Gujarat’s death toll went up to 1,352 with 34 more patients succumbing to coronavirus, even as Ahmedabad’s fatalities neared 1,100.