What are states, Centre doing about migrant workers, asks Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram hit out at the Centre and state governments for not responding effectively to the exodus of migrant workers who were stranded in different cities due to the 21-day COVID-19 lockdown.

Chidambaram took to Twitter to raise the matter: “What are the central and state governments doing about the migrant workers who were allowed to leave the cities and towns and who are finding their way back to their villages?”

What are the central and state governments doing about the migrant workers who were allowed to leave the cities and towns and who are finding their way back to their villages?

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 28, 2020

Numerous incidents of migrant workers who had to resort to travelling in container lorries, trucks, or by foot for hundreds of kilometres to return home, have been reported from across the country, since no passenger trains or government or private buses are running.

These migrants have been returning home in large groups due to unavailability of daily wage labour, and consequently, the lack of means to survive. However, this has resulted in unintentionally defeating the point behind enforcing a lockdown, which was to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Chidambaram said this was another “distressing example of the governments’ unpreparedness.”

“‘Back to villages’ in crowded buses or on foot has significantly dented the lockdown. It is another distressing example of the governments’ unpreparedness,” he added.

‘Back to villages’ in crowded buses or on foot has significantly dented the lockdown.

It is another distressing example of the governments’ unpreparedness.

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 28, 2020