'Walked 92 kms to Return Home'

Q: When did you return to the village and how did you arrive?

Beneficiary: I used to work in a stone quarry in Kota [Rajasthan]. My employer arranged a truck for me to reach Bhopal. I along with a friend stayed in Bhopal for a day and then due to unavailability of any transportation started walking towards home.

After walking for 70 kms, we got a vehicle that dropped us till Sagar, and then we walked again 12 kms to reach home.

Q: Are you eligible for the Public Distribution System, and were you able to get free ration during the lockdown period?

Beneficiary: Yes, and we were getting free ration during the lockdown.

Q: What is your means for earning a livelihood now that you are back in your village?

Beneficiary: I am working in my own field, and I have also recently registered my name under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). It seems like I won’t be able to go back now, so I plan to do agriculture and earn livelihood under MGNREGS whenever work is available.

This interview was conducted with a Beneficiary (Migrant Worker) in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh in Hindi on 22 July 2020, and has been translated.

Source: Government of Flanders