Around 150 migrant workers in Telangana, who were trying to go back to Andhra Pradesh on foot, were persuaded by officials to stay back, on Tuesday.
The daily wagers from Maredpally in Secunderabad had gathered with their wives and children at Habsiguda to leave for their villages in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, over 700 km from Hyderabad.
With the lockdown extended till May 3, they wanted to return to their villages. "How can we survive here. We have no money to pay the rent. By going back to our homes, we will survive somehow," said a woman.
The workers told the officials that they were ready to be kept in 14-day isolation on reaching Andhra Pradesh.
After holding talks with the workers, Local legislator B Subhash Reddy and Telangana Minister T Srinivas Yadav managed to convince them to stay in Hyderabad. Vehicles were arranged to take them to their rented places in the city. They were promised 12 kg rice per head and an amount of Rs 500 each per month for miscellaneous expenses, as announced by the state government.
The Minister said that the homeowners will be asked to defer the rent.
The incident took place a few hours after Yadav said that the government was extending all help to 1.80 lakh migrant workers in Greater Hyderabad. He also claimed that 95,000 workers were being provided free meals daily through Annapurna canteens.
Meanwhile, in a related incident, depressed that he could not return home, a migrant worker from Bihar took his own life in Hyderabad.
Mohammed Amir (24) was found dead in his rented room in Uppal on Monday. The incident came to light after Amir's friend went to his room on receiving a call from his family members in Bihar, who said that he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone.
According to police, the youth, who worked as a mechanic, was upset that he could not go home and had no money to pay the room rent. Amir was sharing the room with one Azeem, who also hails from Bihar. Azeem had gone to Bihar on March 13.
Amir was alone and was stranded with no money after the announcement of the lockdown on March 24. He had shared his problems with family members over the phone and they had assured him that they would send some money to pay the rent.
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