Patna: Following the conclusion of the Bihar Assembly elections, the state is experiencing a significant outflow of migrant workers, underscoring ongoing employment issues. Since the Chhath festival, over 77.6 lakh passengers have departed Bihar, with many traveling to states such as Goa, Maharashtra, and Delhi in search of job opportunities. At Patna Junction, migrant workers Amarjeet Kumar Kamat and Raghunandan recounted their struggles. “The government should provide us employment in Bihar itself. We have to leave our homes and go out—it’s very difficult. People cry along the way. We are separated from our wives, children, and parents,” they expressed.
Data from the Samastipur Railway Division indicates that in the 15 days following Chhath, nearly 30.9 lakh passengers left from North Bihar and Seemanchal alone, averaging over 200,000 passengers daily. Across Bihar, around 6 lakh passengers board trains each day. Raghunandan described the train conditions: “Trains are so crowded that we are forced to travel in crammed spaces. We came to vote for change, hoping for a new government, but Nitish Kumar’s government was formed again. Now we are being pushed around.” Vinod, a laborer from Bakhtiyarpur, remarked, “Lalu came to form the government, but the NDA formed it.” Amit Pandit of Samastipur noted, “Whether the RJD wins or the BJP wins, migration continues.
There has never been employment in Bihar, and it’s unlikely there will be.” MD Rustam echoed this sentiment: “Special trains have only two general bogies, yet thousands are traveling. The government should provide employment here so people don’t have to migrate.” Railways Responds With Special Trains After the second phase of elections, the East Central Railway reports a continued influx of passengers. DRM Jyoti Prakash Mishra stated, “In light of the increased number of passengers following the elections, special trains will continue to operate to offer maximum facilities.” Official data shows that on October 29-30, over 1.43 million passengers left Bihar, marking the highest exodus in recent times.
The peak single-day departure from North Bihar and Seemanchal reached 716,000 on October 29, while the lowest was 426,000 on the day of the first phase of elections. Despite the railway’s efforts to manage the surge with additional services, migrants claim their situation remains unchanged, with the lack of employment continuing to drive them out of the state.