Updated April 18th, 2020 at 08:47 IST

Adhir Ranjan turns his Delhi office into control room to help migrants amid Covid lockdown

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has transformed his Delhi office into a mini control room to provide support to migrant workers stranded in different parts of country.

Reported by: Brigitte Fernandes
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Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has transformed his Delhi office into a mini control room to to provide support to the migrant labourers stranded in West Bengal and other states during the Coronavirus lockdown. From there, Chowdhury attends to the distress calls of migrant workers from across the nation, particularly from the West Bengal, with the help of his staff and wife Atashi. He also tries to reach out to the authorities and party leaders for helping these workers.

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Speaking to ANI, Chowdhury said that he gets over 500 help calls daily particularly from Behrampur constituency. Data of all the distressed migrants is collected over the call and a detailed list is prepared by his staff and wife before looking for a solution.

"I am getting 500 to 600 calls daily from the people who are from West Bengal and especially from my constituency Behrampur. Sometimes people start crying over the phone as they are stranded with no food and shelter. The people from my area are not rich. Most of them are labourers. In this hour of crisis, they need help. Thus, we prepare data and after that look for the solution," said Chowdhury while speaking to ANI.

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'Not hesitating to approach BJP MPs & ministers'

In order to provide the migrant labourer's with assistance, the Congress leader is reaching out to party leaders across the country and various chief ministers, including the BJP MPs and Ministers.

"I am reaching out to my party leaders and workers across the country for help. I am also approaching the Chief Ministers of the states and MPs. In this hour of crisis, I am not hesitating in approaching BJP MPs and Ministers as they are also my friends and they are also helping the workers in every possible way they can. I even talk to the district authorities like District Magistrate of the respective district where labourers need help," he said.

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'Wrote to PM Modi to chalk out a strategy': Chowdhury

The Congress leader also raised concerns about the negligence of the West Bengal government for not collecting data of 'labourers stranded in other states'. "It is a big problem that nor the West Bengal government has the data of the people who stranded outside the state, neither they are doing anything. But I have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to chalk out a strategy to send these migrant labourers to home as soon as the deadline of the lockdown ends," he said.

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Published April 18th, 2020 at 08:47 IST