Punjab CM seeks Home Minister Shah's intervention to transport stranded workers back to their states
May 04, 2020
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], May 4 : Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday sought the personal intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to arrange special trains for next 10-15 days, from May 5, for transporting stranded migrant labourers to their home states.
According to an official spokesperson, the Chief Minister has urged the Home Minister to direct the Ministry of Railways to make suitable arrangements, as the stranded migrant labourers stay 'understandably restless to return to their native places.'
The request was followed by 6.44 lakh migrant labourers registry on the state government's specially created portal -- www.covidhelp.punjab.gov.in.
In his letter to Shah, Singh said that his government would indicate its daily requirement of trains to the Ministry of Railways in advance, for the next 10-15 days to transport people registered on the portal.
He said the Punjab officers were coordinating with the senior railway officers, and the officers of recipient states to plan the smooth movement of the migrants.
The Chief Minister pointed out that a large number of labourers come seasonally from UP, Bihar and other eastern States to seek temporary employment in both industrial and agricultural sector in Punjab.
Though the state government had made all possible arrangements to provide them with food and shelter in the past six weeks, they were now naturally keen to return, said Captain Amarinder.
