Residents from other states clamour to get on goods trucks to return home
Kolkata: With restrictions imposed on inter-state passenger transport to check spread of COVID-19, a large section of residents of neighbouring states are managing to get onto trucks of essential goods from Kolkata to cross borders and reach their homes.
A large section of people from Hyderabad reached Howrah Station by Falaknama Express on Sunday evening. Many of them are from Jharkhand. They came to Howrah station considering they will take a train or bus from here to reach Jharkhand, but found themselves in trouble after reaching the station on Sunday evening.
Some contacted travelling agencies to get traveller buses. Though some agencies sought Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 to take ten people to Jharkhand's Giridih, the bus didn't reach near Howrah Station even after three hours of giving assurance.
Some moved around the area in search of a mode of transport and landed near Armenian Ghat, from where everyday hundreds of trucks laden with different goods leave for different states in the country.
This comes when the Centre has advised restriction on inter-state passenger transport and the state government has restricted inter-state bus services. Inter-state movement of trucks and trailers carrying non-essential goods has also been restricted.
A group of 10 residents of Jharkhand's Jamua was found waiting on Strand Road near Armenian Ghat. They were found negotiating with a truck driver, urging him to take them to Jharkhand.
Raju, the driver, said: "Five goods-laden trucks left Armenian Ghat with around 80 residents of Bihar on Sunday evening and Rs 500 was taken by drivers from each of them."
When asked how it will be possible for the trucks to cross the border as there will be heavy checking at border check posts, Raju said that they are drivers of trucks that move around the entire country and they know they routes through which they can skip heavy checking.
"I don't know such routes. So not taking the risk," he said when the residents of Jharkhand and some from Odisha approached him to take them to their native places.
Anand Turi, a Jharkhand resident, said: "We work in different hotels at Kothi in Hyderabad and now we are approaching truck drivers to take us to our native place after somehow reaching Kolkata by train as we have no other way out."
Alok Linka, an HR Executive of a shopping mall at Andul in Howrah, along with some of his colleagues was also found approaching Raju to help them get a truck to reach Bhadrak in Odisha.
Even on Monday morning, a large number of people from neighbouring states were found waiting near Howrah Station to get some vehicle to reach their homes.
When contacted, a senior state government official preferring anonymity said that at present there is restriction on inter-state passenger transport. "But we are keeping a watch on the situation," the officer said.
