The government is working on a plan to help transport migrant workers, who are unable to return to their villages due to the countrywide lockdown, go back home.
According to a plan in the works, the Centre may issue an advisory to the states to screen the migrant workers and open up road transportation lines for them. The government has been drawing flak in the past few days for not providing transportation and other facilities to migrant workers who want to head back home, fearing for their health as the Covid-19 (coronavirus) spreads in cities.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown from Wednesday to contain the spread of the coronavirus. This has resulted in a ban on inter-state travel across the country through rail, planes or buses. A curfew has been imposed and citizens are allowed to venture out only for buying essential items or for availing ‘essential services.’
The countrywide lockdown was followed by lockdown imposed by 30 out of 36 states across the country till March-end, curtailing movement of people. As industries started downing shutters, scores of migrant workers started moving out of cities to go back to their homes in other states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Migrant workers were seen walking on foot for hundreds of kilometers across the states – be it from Delhi, Telangana or Kerala to reach their home states. To add to their pain, the local police have been strict in implementing the lockdown orders going to the extent of punishing some migrant workers who were seen on the road.
The situation is so bad that on Thursday, the Maharashtra Police found over 300 migrant workers crammed into two container trucks coming from Telangana.
Some states governments such as Bihar and Uttarakhand have opened up a helpline for migrant workers belonging to these states. Some states such as Delhi, where a lot of migrant workers from other states were working, are providing shelter and food facilities.
On Thursday, the Union Home Ministry had asked state governments to arrange food and shelter for migrant workers. Till now, the government wanted the migrant workers to remain in the state where they were working.
There is no official count of migrant workers in India. Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has said in Parliament quoting the Economic Survey that there could be 100 million migrant workers in the country, constituting about one-fifth of the country’s workforce. Most of these migrant workers are in the unorganised sector with no social security cover and poor income, making them more vulnerable during the pandemic.
According to a plan in the works, the Centre may issue an advisory to the states to screen the migrant workers and open up road transportation lines for them. The government has been drawing flak in the past few days for not providing transportation and other facilities to migrant workers who want to head back home, fearing for their health as the Covid-19 (coronavirus) spreads in cities.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown from Wednesday to contain the spread of the coronavirus. This has resulted in a ban on inter-state travel across the country through rail, planes or buses. A curfew has been imposed and citizens are allowed to venture out only for buying essential items or for availing ‘essential services.’
The countrywide lockdown was followed by lockdown imposed by 30 out of 36 states across the country till March-end, curtailing movement of people. As industries started downing shutters, scores of migrant workers started moving out of cities to go back to their homes in other states, including Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Migrant workers were seen walking on foot for hundreds of kilometers across the states – be it from Delhi, Telangana or Kerala to reach their home states. To add to their pain, the local police have been strict in implementing the lockdown orders going to the extent of punishing some migrant workers who were seen on the road.
The situation is so bad that on Thursday, the Maharashtra Police found over 300 migrant workers crammed into two container trucks coming from Telangana.
Some states governments such as Bihar and Uttarakhand have opened up a helpline for migrant workers belonging to these states. Some states such as Delhi, where a lot of migrant workers from other states were working, are providing shelter and food facilities.
On Thursday, the Union Home Ministry had asked state governments to arrange food and shelter for migrant workers. Till now, the government wanted the migrant workers to remain in the state where they were working.
There is no official count of migrant workers in India. Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar has said in Parliament quoting the Economic Survey that there could be 100 million migrant workers in the country, constituting about one-fifth of the country’s workforce. Most of these migrant workers are in the unorganised sector with no social security cover and poor income, making them more vulnerable during the pandemic.
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