The Centre may have asked the states to seal borders amid the lockdown to fight the novel coronavirus, but the pull of home is stronger for many.

Around 100 persons who used to work in around a dozen eateries in Bistupur and Sakchi localities of the steel city have left on foot for their homes in Bankura and Purulia districts of Bengal during the past 24 hours. And a group of 32 masons were seen at Khadgada Bus Depot in Ranchi on Monday morning, looking for transport to return to Murshidabad.

The masons were working at a construction site but the work was suspended due to the lockdown, rendering them jobless.

“I came about a fortnight ago for work at a site in Tupudana on the outskirts of Ranchi,” said Sahadat Hossein, from of Kantanagar village in Bhagabangola area of Murshidabad.

There is no work so it is not possible for them to stay on, no work now, Hossein said.

“It’s the same story of all of us,” added Tublu Sheikh of Baghdanga village of the same area.

“We usually stay at the same site where we work but with the site closed down that has also become a problem,' Hossein said.

They have kept some money apart for their return journey but are worried how they will manage if they don't get any transport.

Hossein eagerly took down the helpline numbers of Jharkhand government when advised.

The steel city eatery owners claimed the workers left despite lodging and food being arranged for them.

Ramesh Shah said he had four men, all residents of Bagmundi police station area in Purulia, working at his eatery. “The four stayed at a rented room that I had taken for them at Shastrinagar in Kadma after the lockdown came into effect. All the four were in regular contact with their parents over cellphone and there was no dearth of anything for their stay. But one of them informed me on Sunday night that they would start for their homes on foot on Monday early morning. What could I do?” said Shah.

He said he tried to convince them that walking to Purulia, around 80km away, amid so much checking and fear of coronavirus was not a wise idea but none of them was ready to listen.

Around 15 such workers also left on cycles for Bankura, which is around 140km from the steel city.

Dilip Ghosh, who was readying to leave for Bankura, said: “I had no problem in staying at an accommodation provided by our employer, Pritam Singh, at Sakchi. But I could not control the strong desire to meet my family at my native place. Moreover, my mother is very concerned about me even though I would talk to her over cellphone regularly.”

A grocer, Subhas Mandal, said he had stopped a 22-year-old youth who used to work at a shoe shop in Bistupur and had arranged for a cycle to ride up to Barasat in Bengal, around 300km away.

“He is such a frail guy that I felt he might run into serious problem,” said Mandal, who himself is from Bankura. “I contacted his mother over the phone and made her convince her son not to venture out for such a long journey on cycle.”

Mandal said he had given the youth shelter at his house until the lockdown ends.