Siliguri: As many as 391 Indian workers  stuck in Nepal have returned to their home town in Bengal. They were ferried back by the Bengal government.

“Ten buses and 25 small vehicles were used to bring them back. All social distancing norms were maintained during the journey,” said Pradip Khatri, officer in charge of Indian Immigration Check Post (ICP), Raniganj, Panitanki, TOI reported.

According to sources, thousands of migrant laborers from Bengal, who were working at a brick kiln in Province 1 and Province 2, had been stuck in Nepal due to the lockdown.

State tourism minister Gautam Deb said around 8,000 laborers from Coochbehar had been stuck in Nepal and the process of bringing them back to India has started.

“According to the SOP of the central government, people coming from outside the country should be kept in quarantine and must pay for it. But a laborer cannot afford to do that. Hence, there was a delay in bringing them back,” said Deb.

(with inputs from Agencies)