NEW DELHI: With tens of thousands of migrant workers walking down to their homes far way amid the coronavirus lockdown, the government on Saturday directed states and union territories to immediately set up relief camps for them and carry out health check-ups.
Scenes of migrant workers walking endlessly and many trying to cram into buses to reach their destinations were common in several parts of the country as the countrywide lockdown entered the fourth day. With lakhs of these workers stranded on highways and inter-state bus terminus, the government stepped in and asked states and union territories to immediately set up relief camps for migrant workers and others who are returning to their home states or trying to do so during the nationwide lockdown period.
Home Minister Amit Shah said the central government has committed all support to migrant workers during the 21-day lockdown announced to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The Centre also asked state governments and union territory administrations to utilise state disaster response funds, to which Rs 29,000 crore has been allocated for the next fiscal, for providing food and shelter to migrant workers hit by the lockdown.
Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Punya Salila Srivastava said the government has also asked the states and union territories to set up camps for migrant workers fleeing cities and carry out their health check-ups. With their livelihoods coming to a halt after imposition of the countrywide lockdown, thousands of daily wage workers and labourers, including women and children, with their bags on their heads and backs and many also wearing protective masks waited in long queues to board buses at the Anand Vihar Interstate Bus Terminal in Delhi.
‘National emergency’
Over 200 academics, economists, social activists and lawyers have urged the Centre to pay heed to the condition of migrant workers who are walking to their villages amid the lockdown to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
They also said that the government should use the network of anganwadis, panchayat bhavans, schools, colleges, railway stations to set up centres to provide food to them.
The statement appealing for “immediate assistance to migrant workers” was signed by economist Jean Dreze and activists Aruna Roy, Harsh Mander and Medha Patkar, among others. Calling it a “national emergency” which has put lakhs of people in danger of perishing in hunger and trauma, they appealed for an immediate response to the humanitarian crisis, to prevent it from snowballing further. “This is an urgent appeal for assistance to migrant workers who are unable to reach their homes due to the current lockdown – free food, medical care and sanitation at the very least,” the statement said. (PTI)
