Traffic jam: 33 Haryana Roadways buses turned back from UP border

Tribune News Service

Ambala/Yamunanagar, May 17

Eighteen Haryana Roadways buses from Ambala and 15 from Yamunanagar carrying labourers were sent back from the border by the Uttar Pradesh authorities.

Drivers of the buses carrying 30 passengers each from Ambala were told that there was a heavy rush in Saharanpur and it was not possible to accept more labourers today. “We kept waiting there for a couple of hours, but were not allowed to drop off the migrants. So we called up the authorities here in Ambala and they asked us to bring the passengers back,” a roadways driver said.

Arjun, a labourer, said they left Ambala around 11.30 am and when they reached the UP border, the policemen didn’t allow the buses to go ahead. “They told the drivers that there is already a jam. We were so close but now we have been sent back.”

Ambala Deputy Commissioner Ashok Sharma said the UP authorities didn’t allow the buses to drop off the migrants on Sunday due to heavy rush. “The labourers will be sent back after we get clearance from Uttar Pradesh. Over 10,350 people have been sent to UP and Bihar from Ambala so far in trains and buses. We have been allotted two more trains for Bihar, while we need three more.”

The buses from Yamunanagar were carrying about 500 labourers from shelter homes of the district to drop them at homes set up in Saharanpur. “We sent 15 buses to drop off labourers of Uttar Pradesh at a shelter home in Saharanpur. But, our buses were returned back from the border following some law and order problem in Uttar Pradesh,” said Yamunanagar Deputy Commissioner Mukul Kumar.

Earlier in the day, labourers held a protest and blocked the national highway at Shambhu border when they were being sent back by the Ambala authorities towards Punjab. SP Abhishek Jorwal said, “Migrants who come from Punjab are sent back. On Sunday, nearly 500 migrants were sent back.”

900 sent home on buses

Karnal: More than 900 migrant labourers, who were walking on foot to return to their hometowns, have been sent to their homes by the district administration on Saturday in 30 buses.

The authorities got them lifted from roads and sent them to shelter homes. After their screening, they were sent to their hometowns in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Around 1,300 migrant labourers have been sent to UP in the past two days.

As many as 2,230 migrant labourers belonging to Bihar are staying in shelter homes. “We have requested for the arrangement of two trains for them, which are expected to be arranged in a couple of days,” said DC Nishant Kumar Yadav, adding that all kind of facilities were being provided to them.