Kin of laborers run over by train await death certificates
Nearly 10 months after 16 migrant laborers —11 from Shahdol District and five from neighboring Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh, were crushed to death by a goods train in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district while they were returning to Madhya Pradesh during the coronavirus-triggered lockdown, their families in Shahdol are still waiting to get their death certificates. Here are more details.
Families not able to avail benefits of government-run schemes
The family members of the deceased migrant workers say that they are unable to carry out important bank-related tasks and avail the benefits of government-run schemes, as they have not received the death certificates.
SDM has requested Aurangabad authorities to send the certificates
The Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Jaisingh Nagar, Dileep Pandey said that the administration has recently sent a letter to the authorities in Maharashtra's Aurangabad, requesting them to give the death certificates of the deceased to their families. The family of the deceased in Shahdol said that they had applied for the death certificate before the then SDM of Jaisingh Nagar.
Wife of the deceased is unable to get widow pension
"But, the official said that the death certificate will be issued by the authorities where the mishap occurred," said Sunita Singh, wife of the deceased Rajbahor. In absence of her husband's death certificate, she is unable to get the widow pension of the State Government.
Bank is asking for death certificates to operate accounts
Parvati Singh, the wife of another deceased Brajesh, said that she was not able to get the works related to banks done in absence of a certificate. Gajraj Singh, who lost his two sons in the incident, said that the bank officials have been asking him to bring death certificates to operate the accounts of the deceased.
They were sleeping on the tracks when the mishap happened
The migrant workers were walking to Bhusawal from Jalna on their way to their home state. They slept on rail tracks near Karmad, around 30 km from Aurangabad, due to exhaustion, when they were run over by the train on May 8 last year.
Lapses occurred on part of Centre and States: Supreme Court
During the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown last year, the migrant workers suffered the most. Taking suo-motu cognizance of the migrant workers' plight in May last year, the Supreme Court had said that there have been lapses on the part of Center and States/Union Territories in this issue. It had directed the Centre and State to ferry the migrants to their native places within 15 days.
No data on the death of migrant workers: Centre
The Modi Government had earlier notified the Lok Sabha that over one crore migrant workers returned to their home state, between May and June last year. However, the government said that there is no data available on the deaths of migrant laborers.
