FIR registered against Zimindara travellers, owner and driver, labourers sent to quarantine centres
SAMBA, MAY 20: Taking an undue advantage of the restrictions imposed on public transport during the Covid-19 lockdown a travel agency under proprietorship of M/s Zimindara Travllers was illegally transporting 128 interstate migrants from Jammu to Kanpur, Uttar Pardesh has been stopped at Raya Morh samba.
The bus driver along with Owner of travel agency namely Mahinder Pal Singh have been arrested by Samba police.
Deputy Commissioner Samba, Rohit Khajuria, during the inspection found that 2 buses carrying 128 labourers were stationed at Raya Morh near Zimindara Dhaba.
After detailed enquiry it was revealed that owner Mahinder Pal Singh had convinced labourers to help them in ferrying from Resham Ghar Colony Jammu to their native place in Kanpur Uttar Pardesh in his buses. It was also confirmed that the owner has charged Rs 2600 per head from the labourers for their transportation.
“We had boarded the bus from Jammu yesterday for travelling back to our native homes in Uttar Pardesh however we were halting here since yesterday and were not taken ahead or any other place” said an labourers while accusing the bus owner.
Deputy Commissioner taking cognizance of the matter immediately directed police officers to register a case against the owner of the travel agency and arrest the bus owner along with driver. He said that this a clear case of exploitation of innocent labourers stranded due to lockdown by the bus owner. All the 128 migrant labourers have been sent to a quarantine centre in district samba and they have been provided with food, water and shelter. The DC directed labour Department samba to register all the labourers and establish necessary arrangements immediately regarding their safe travel strictly through government advised protocol besides police has also been directed to initiate process for returning the money taken by the accused.