Advertisement

Updated May 1st, 2020 at 09:07 IST

Punjab CM requests PM Modi for special trains to enable return of migrants to their homes

Punjab CM Capt Amarinder Singh in a letter to PM Modi has requested him to advise Railway Ministry to arrange special trains to move stranded migrants.

Reported by: Digital Desk
migrant workers
| Image:self
Advertisement

Chief Minister of Punjab Captain Amarinder Singh in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has requested him to advise Railway Ministry to arrange special trains to move stranded migrants to their respective destinations.

Punjab CM urges PM Modi to advise Railway Ministry

"Estimates indicate that nearly one million workers will need transport to go back to their states. The only feasible option in the circumstances was to arrange special trains, which the Railways may run from point to point, keeping in view the number of persons to be transported to a given destination," Punjab CM wrote in the letter.

Noting that since many other states might also be facing a similar situation, the Captain Amarinder sought the PM Modi's intervention in the matter, urging him to advise the Ministry of Railways to make special arrangements to ensure that these migrant workers reach their destination safely.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had, on Wednesday, allowed inter-state movement of migrant workers, while directing that "buses shall be used for transport of a group of persons, of course after proper sanitization and maintaining social distancing norms in seating."

READ | Kerala CM urges Centre to operate special trains to transport stranded migrant workers

Captain Amarinder pointed out that a large number of migrant workers who had come to Punjab for jobs/employment from Bihar, UP, and Jharkhand intended to return to their respective states due to the outbreak of COVID-19. "These workers are engaged both in agriculture and industries. However most of them either lost their jobs or could not find employment/work due to curfew imposed in the state to contain coronavirus," he wrote.

READ | COVID-19: UP CM Yogi Adityanath orders sealing of borders with other states, Nepal

During a video conference with the state's DCs and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs), the Chief Minister said he has written to the Prime Minister with regard to the transportation of the migrants. He pointed out that Ludhiana alone had over seven lakh migrant labourers, with the whole of Punjab having over a million of them.

Though data was still being collated, approximately 70% of the labourers in Punjab hailed from Bihar, the Chief Minister said, adding that the movement of such large numbers was possible only through trains, with proper screening to be done at the time of departure. 

READ | Karnataka allows resuming all industrial activities outside containment zones from May 4

Punjab saw the steepest rise in the number of novel coronavirus cases on Thursday with 105 persons, mostly pilgrims who returned from Nanded, testing positive for the disease, officials said. It is for the first time that the state has reported more than 100 coronavirus cases in a single day. With the fresh detections, the number of COVID-19 cases in Punjab now stands at 480, they said.

READ | Maharashtra Guv writes to EC over MLC polls, refuses to nominate CM Uddhav Thackeray

(With agency inputs)

Advertisement

Published May 1st, 2020 at 09:07 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

L&T Shipbuilding facility
4 minutes ago
Pooja Vastrakar
6 minutes ago
Congress Press Conference
25 minutes ago
Crew posters
31 minutes ago
Big Communication Gap Within the Congress: Sanjay Nirupam Targets Party Leadership | EXCLUSIVE
32 minutes ago
VST Tillers Tractors
32 minutes ago
High-net-worth women show a nuanced approach to wealth with interest in alternative investments and cautious risk tolerance.
33 minutes ago
Shreyas Iyer
38 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo