Apprehending that the ongoing lockdown would continue even beyond May 17, a group of 40 masons from Murshidabad district in Bengal are now desperate to return home.

Some were seen walking near the chief minister’s residence on Kanke Road on Wednesday morning.

They were walking towards Dhurwa to see if any bus was available and some were even ready to walk to Murshidabad, a distance of about 400km.

“We heard that buses left for Murshidabad from there. So going to look for it,” said Aladin Sheikh from Lalgola in Murshidabad.

They had reached Ranchi just four days before the lockdown came into effect and could not earn enough to survive through the lockdown.

“It’s not possible to carry on like this and we also have families back home who are equally worried about us,” he said.

They lived in Chandni Chowk area of Kanke and had also approached the local police station expecting the administration would make some arrangements to send them back home, Aladin said.

“We have submitted details such as Aadhaar numbers about a fortnight ago but nothing happened,” he said, adding that it was no more possible for them to carry on in such a helpless condition.

“We heard some people were sent back to Murshidabad by bus and so deposited our Aadhaar card details and photos with some volunteers who said they would try to send us back too,” said Mehboob Sheikh, another mason from the same area.

“We have no resources to pull on here. It’s better to go back home even by walking all the way,” he said, when asked what would they do if no bus was available.

“It’s difficult for us to survive as we didn’t get a chance to earn anything and now we are not even sure how long the lockdown will continue,” said Kabirul Sheikh, another member of the group.

“At this time of uncertainty, we have no choice left other than walking to Murshidabad,” he said.

“That’s not possible as you never know when the police will stop you,” said Mustafa Sheikh of Jangipur in Murshidabad, who has been coming to Ranchi often for work but he is now interested in returning home.

“Seeing their plight, some people were trying to send them back by buses by obtaining necessary clearance from the authorities,” he said, adding that he was also waiting to avail the opportunity if it comes his way.

“We sent some stranded people to nearby areas in Bengal like Purulia but have no plan to send any bus to Murshidabad from Ranchi now,” said Lokesh Mishra, the Ranchi sub-divisional officer (sadar), when asked if the administration had any plans to send the workers by bus.