J’khand plans grand welcome for 15 workers rescued from Silkyara tunnel

RANCHI: A grand welcome awaits 15 Jharkhand workers, who were rescued from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi along with 26 others, on their arrival to the state capital on Friday, an official said.

The 15 workers along with their 12 family members, will be flown to Ranchi from Delhi where Chief Minister Hemant Soren will have an interaction with them, the official said.

State Labour Minister Satyanand Bhokta will receive the workers at the airport.

“A dinner has been planned for them at Circuit House. They will be staying at Circuit House for the night. All arrangements have been made and on Saturday they will be sent to their respective villages. If those from Ranchi and Khunti want to go to their families, we will send them away,” Sharma said.

The workers were taken to AIIMS Rishikesh for a health check-up on Wednesday.

The 41 workers, belonging to Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam, were rescued from the collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi after a gruelling 17-day operation.

Besides three from Khirabeda, the trapped Jharkhand workers hail from Giridih, Khunti and West Singhbhum, where people have erupted in joy after the trapped workers were rescued on Tuesday evening.