Ranchi/Mumbai: Over 165 migrant workers were ferried back home to Jharkhand from Mumbai in a chartered flight Thursday. The alumni network of the National Law School (NLS) in Bangalore chartered the flight. This is the first time in India migrant workers have been sent back to their native state by a chartered flight.
The Air Asia flight carrying 169 migrant workers and five children left here at 6.25am. It reached Ranchi around 8.25 am. A spokesperson for the airline said that the NLS had taken on lease the 180-seater A320 plane.
AirAsia proud to be part of initiative
“AirAsia India is proud to be a part of this initiative that helps migrant workers. They have been adversely impacted by the lockdown. The initiative has helped them reach their homes and families. We have been working closely with the organisers, alumni of the National Law School. We understand they have independently crowd-funded their efforts. It has helped in repatriatiation of migrant workers from Mumbai to Ranchi. It is a first such incident in India,” an AirAsia official said in a statement.
At Ranchi’s Birsa Munda Airport, the migrant workers underwent a medical screening. The administration provided them with food packets and water. After that they were send them off to quarantine centres. The facilities are located in different districts of Jharkhand.
Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s comments
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren said, “This is the first time in India that a plane brought mazdoor (migrant workers) back during the lockdown. I appreciate the effort of the Alumni Network of National Law School, Bangalore.”
Main man behind the initiative
Shyel Trehan, was one the main persons those behind the initiative. “We are happy to have made this very small contribution to addressing a massive travesty. I would like to thank AirAsia for all their support,” he said in a statement.
“This was a massive group effort. Priya Sharma, IIT Bombay and the alumni from the National Law School worked together on the initiative,” Trehan added.
Worker expresses gratitude
One of the workers, at the Ranchi airport expressed his gratitude for the NLS alumni. “I work as a welder in Mumbai. All of us are happy to return. I would like to thank everybody who facilitated our return,” he told reporters.
Agencies