Jharkhand facilitates return of 60 workers from Ladakh by air

PTI

New Delhi/Leh

Amid heartrending stories of migrants longing to return home, the Jharkhand government on Friday gave a ray of hope to many such stranded workers by facilitating return of 60 of its natives, stuck in the snow-clad fringes of the Himalayan mountains in Ladakh, by air, in a first-of-its-kind initiative by a state.

After two months of anxiety and uncertainty, the group of 60, involved in a Border Roads Organisation project in Ladakh, took a commercial flight, which landed in the afternoon in the national capital, from where they boarded another plane to go back to their home state.

While many stories of employers and organisations sponsoring the return of workers have emerged after the resumption of domestic passenger flights on Monday, this is perhaps the first time a state government has facilitated the return of so many migrant labourers via commercial flights.

After the first leg of the journey, Saul Tudu, one of the labourers, said he always thought that there were roads in the clouds on which plane runs. “It was my first time on a plane (Leh to Delhi) and I think my flight to Ranchi would be the last experience, as I can never afford this,” he said from the Delhi airport. “When stuck in Ladakh, I would often think that I will never be able to see my children – three sons and a daughter – and it is a dream come true to return like this to my family, to my village,” the 35-year-old labourer added.

The workers, who are from Jharkhand’s Dumka district, were stuck in Gorgodoh Village of Batalik in Kargil district and were medically checked and transported by BRO to Leh on Thursday and kept in a transit camp, officials said. “We are committed to ensure our migrant workers return home safe. Our government is flying back 60 workers, who were stranded in Batalik-Kargil, Leh, to Ranchi. Special thanks to Divisional Commissioner/Secretary UT Ladakh, DG- BRO and local BRO Officers, SpiceJet and Indigo teams for their able support,” Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren tweeted.

Chief Minister Soren had also written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for permission to bring back migrant workers stranded in Andaman & Nicobar, Ladakh and North-Eastern states by chartered planes as there were no other means to transport the workers.