Image: PTI PATNA: Trains rolled in. Platforms swelled. Migrant families from Bihar stepped down at Patna Junction with bedding, steel containers, plastic sacks – returning from cities where cooking has become unaffordable. Faces carried fatigue and a decision driven by empty cylinders and the search for a flame that costs less than a day’s wage. LPG shortage bites.”LPG vendors are charging Rs 500 a kg. It lasts two days,” said Manoj, a construction worker from Punpun in Patna district who arrived from New Delhi with his wife and two children. “We could not continue.”Ramu, a Chennai factory worker bound for Saharsa, did the maths. “Two days’ wages for gas to cook one meal. Better unemployed at home than starving in a big city.”Officials said around 2,500 workers have returned so far, many citing cooking gas costs. Bihar has an estimated 48 lakh migrants working across Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Labour department teams have begun panchayat-level surveys to track returns.Magadh Express from New Delhi pulled in around 12.30pm Tuesday to a surge of workers heading home. By 2.20pm, Brahmaputra Mail brought another wave. Azimabad Express from Gujarat. Ernakulam Express from the south. Each arrival added to the churn.Danapur mirrored the flow – Sanghamitra Express from Bengaluru, Udhna Express from Gujarat – unloading passengers who have walked away from jobs as fuel costs spike.Many returnees hail from Siwan, Gopalganj, Madhubani, Darbhanga and Saharsa. Work left behind spans construction sites, factories, dhabas and housing complexes. Sonu, a security guard in Noida earning Rs 6,000 a month, said options ran out when his cylinder emptied. “We ate on the streets for a few days. Coal or wood not allowed in residential area,” he said.Nishi Devi, a domestic help returning to Bhojpur with three children, counted days since a proper meal. “The employer helped at first. Then they faced the same crisis. We cannot pay black-market rates and rent. At home, I will cook on cow dung cakes,” she said.Trains kept arriving. Bikash, a porter with 12 years at the station, saw the shift in footfall. “Not like pandemic rush, but numbers are rising the past two weeks,” he said.About the AuthorAdwitiya DebAdwitiya primarily covers crime and civic stories. She has in the past written on varied topics, including decline of the glass bangle culture, illegal trade of firecrackers in Champahati, West Bengal apart from many more on food and travel. She has recently completed her PGDM in journalism from Xavier’s, Mumbai. She loves music and is very affectionate about animals.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosManipur Erupts Again After Deadly Blast Kills 2 Children; Curfew Imposed, Internet Shutdown’Avoid Military Areas, Stay Indoors’: India Issues Advisory For Indians In Iran As Tensions RiseManipur Erupts Again: Curfew, Internet Shutdown As Violence Returns Over Killing Of Two ChildrenTejas Back In Air After Setbacks, But Reliability And Delays Raise Fresh Questions’Target Of Akhand Bharat’: Pakistan Senator Sounds Alarm Over Growing India-UAE Ties’At The Behest Of Mamata’: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s Shocking Claim On Pakistan’s Kolkata ThreatIndia Seeks US Waiver On Chabahar Amid Conflict; Iran Envoy Hints At Key Port Revival After WarBJP Calls Kharge’s ‘Snake’ Remark Dangerous, Alleges Communal ProvocationAssam Passport Row Turns Personal: Himanta Sarma Takes ‘Peda’ Jibe At Pawan Khera, Congress Responds’Pakistan Will Be Divided Into…’: Rajnath Singh’s Strong Response To Khawaja Asif’s Kolkata Threat123PhotostoriesFrom Divyanka Tripathi to Karishma Tanna confirming their pregnancies to Surbhi Jyoti flaunting her baby bump; TV actresses who are all set to embrace motherhoodWhy this is the only Indian dish among the 50 Best Bean Dishes in the World5 fun and unusual vacation ideas for the summer holidays in IndiaStep inside Kapil Dev’s Delhi residence that defines understated luxurySimple remedies to attract wealth based on your numberHappy birthday Jackie Chan: ‘Drunken Master’, ‘Police Story’ to ‘Rush Hour’ – The legend’s greatest hitsHeartbroken? 7 inspiring quotes on why this isn’t the end of your storyBrad Pitt, Tom Cruise and more: Hollywood stars who adore Bollywood actors, trends and movies4 non-negotiable rules for a healthy relationshipTamil Nadu’s Buckingham Canal gets Rs 45 crore makeover: Walkways, cycling tracks, Miyawaki forests planned123Hot PicksLuka Doncic InjuryUpdated IPL Points TablePurple cap winnerOrange cap winnerIPL Points TablePublic holidays April 2026Bank Holidays AprilTop TrendingBuffalo BillsIShowSpeedStephen CurrySheldon KeefeUS stocks todayIran AdvisoryCarlos AlcarazIPL Points TableSchool Holidays in AprilKarnataka 2nd PUC Exam Result Date
PATNA: Trains rolled in. Platforms swelled. Migrant families from Bihar stepped down at Patna Junction with bedding, steel containers, plastic sacks – returning from cities where cooking has become unaffordable. Faces carried fatigue and a decision driven by empty cylinders and the search for a flame that costs less than a day’s wage. LPG shortage bites.“LPG vendors are charging Rs 500 a kg. It lasts two days,” said Manoj, a construction worker from Punpun in Patna district who arrived from New Delhi with his wife and two children. “We could not continue.”Ramu, a Chennai factory worker bound for Saharsa, did the maths. “Two days’ wages for gas to cook one meal. Better unemployed at home than starving in a big city.”Officials said around 2,500 workers have returned so far, many citing cooking gas costs. Bihar has an estimated 48 lakh migrants working across Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai. Labour department teams have begun panchayat-level surveys to track returns.Magadh Express from New Delhi pulled in around 12.30pm Tuesday to a surge of workers heading home. By 2.20pm, Brahmaputra Mail brought another wave. Azimabad Express from Gujarat. Ernakulam Express from the south. Each arrival added to the churn.Danapur mirrored the flow – Sanghamitra Express from Bengaluru, Udhna Express from Gujarat – unloading passengers who have walked away from jobs as fuel costs spike.Many returnees hail from Siwan, Gopalganj, Madhubani, Darbhanga and Saharsa. Work left behind spans construction sites, factories, dhabas and housing complexes. Sonu, a security guard in Noida earning Rs 6,000 a month, said options ran out when his cylinder emptied. “We ate on the streets for a few days. Coal or wood not allowed in residential area,” he said.Nishi Devi, a domestic help returning to Bhojpur with three children, counted days since a proper meal. “The employer helped at first. Then they faced the same crisis. We cannot pay black-market rates and rent. At home, I will cook on cow dung cakes,” she said.Trains kept arriving. Bikash, a porter with 12 years at the station, saw the shift in footfall. “Not like pandemic rush, but numbers are rising the past two weeks,” he said.
