Veteran Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan has arranged three flights for Gorakhpur, Allahabad, and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, so that more than 500 migrant workers can go to their native homes amid the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier, on May 29, he had also arranged 10 buses to send labourers stranded in Mumbai back to their homes in Uttar Pradesh.
A source told Mid-Day that everything is being done with utmost discretion as Big-B does not want to publicize it. The source told the publication, “He was moved by the plight of the migrant workers and decided to help them. He has chartered the Indigo Airlines’ Varanasi-bound flight, scheduled to depart today morning. The 180 migrants scheduled to travel on the morning flight had been asked to report to the airport at 6 am. The initial plan was to send them home by train, but the logistics didn’t work out.”
According to the report, Mr. Bachchan is arranging for a few more flights to ensure that more migrants reach their hometowns in West Bengal, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu. Amitabh Bachchan had also provided monthly ration to 1,00,000 households of daily wage workers, belonging to the All India Film Employees Confederation, amid the coronavirus pandemic. This initiative was supported by Sony Pictures Networks India and Kalyan Jewellers.
