Kolkata: Kolkatans have stood beside the flood affected victims of Kerala by organising funds and medicines.
State Urban Development minister Firhad Hakim on the occasion of Eid-ul-Zoha on Wednesday also prayed for the well-being of the people in Kerala. It may be mentioned that Hakim was present at Howrah Station on Tuesday to receive those returning from Kerala, whereas Cooperation minister Arup Roy was present on Wednesday.
The state Transport department has provided buses to take them home. Hakim supervised the camp opened in Howrah for Kerala flood victims. Buses were there to help them reach the districts like Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda and other parts of the state.
"We pray that the people in Kerala return back to their normal lives and the flood situation improves fast," Hakim said. Most of the people who have returned from Kerala are mostly labourers. Over a thousand people have returned from Kerala in special trains from Thiruvananthapuram.
Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had sent Rs 10 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and assured that the state will extend all possible help to the hapless people in Kerala.
Meanwhile, about 130 students from various colleges and universities of Bengal, under the banner 'Keralar Pashe', came together at Santraganchi Railway Station on Wednesday to receive the migrant workers coming from the flood-hit state.
The first train arrived at midnight. About 2,500 workers, who were travelling for more than 40 hours with no money and almost no food, got down from the train. The student volunteers provided them with food and necessary assistance to go to their hometown from there.
The second train arrived at 5 am on Wednesday, when 2,500 more migrant workers, who were mainly involved in the unorganised service sectors, were received by the students volunteers.
Many of these people have been going to distant villages of Bengal and Assam. The group of student volunteers will continue receiving the returning workers.
A team comprising 8-9 members from Santoshpur area in the Southern fringes of the city, has decided to visit Kerala in cars to help the flood affected victims.