Now, workers from Ved hit the streets in Surat

Soon police officials reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The Ved Road Weavers’ Association leaders also spoke to the labourers and assured them that they would not face any food shortage and it will be supplied from Thursday.

Association president Devesh Patel said, “There are 42 industrial societies comprising 1,200 powerloom factories in Ved. There might be around 40,000 migrant labourers from UP, Bihar and Odisha, working in these factories. We have checked with the weavers of our association and found that all of them have been given their salary. On our advice, around 400 owners of powerloom factories distributed food kits comprising rice, daal, wheat flour, edible oil, salt and chilly among the labourers. On Thursday, 500 more factories will distribute such food kits to the labourers. These ration kits will last them a month. They desperately want to go home as they don’t have any work now. We have told them to wait till May 3, and if situation normalises after that, they can go home.”

Katargam police inspector B D Gohil said, “We have brought the situation under control with the help of the association leaders. We have also deployed police staff outside the labour colonies to keep an eye on them.”