Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
New Delhi
With Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar objecting to the idea of transporting stranded migrant labourers back to their homes, as it will defeat the very purpose of the lockdown, the Centre today issued fresh directives to the states to treat “stranded migrant workers” as homeless and provide them “shelter, food and other facilities” at places where they are.
Nitish Kumar, Bihar Chief Minister
‘Movement defeats lockdown purpose’
The arrangement of buses to bring back migrant workers to their native states would defeat the very purpose of the nationwide lockdown. The exercise will increase the possibility of spread of the coronavirus.
After a review meeting held here today, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said under direction from the Prime Minister, the government has committed all support to migrant workers during the lockdown.
MHA officials said Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla has written to state governments advising them to set up “relief camps” along the highways for people moving on highways, including setting up of tented accommodation to ensure that these persons will stay in the relief camps till the lockdown orders are in place.
“The shelters are to be organised, keeping in view various precautions, including social distancing, with adequate medical check-up drives to identify and separate cases requiring quarantine or hospitalisation,” said a senior official.
The MHA has authorised all states to use the State Disaster Response Fund for providing such relief measures. These measures would further strengthen them to deal with this issue.
Earlier in the day, the Bihar CM said the arrangement of buses to bring back migrant workers to their native states would defeat the very purpose of the three-week nationwide lockdown, as the exercise “will increase the possibility of spread of the virus”. He went on to suggest that it would be better to organise camps at local levels instead of trying to send people back home.
The Bihar CM’s suggestion came following a directive from the UP Government to the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation to arrange transport for stranded migrant labourers across the state. Consequent to this, the UPSRTC sent letters to all District Magistrates, Senior Superintendents of Police and other officials requesting them not to obstruct the movement of 200 special buses being run to provide transport facilities to people stuck at various places in the border areas with Delhi.
