Ensure directives on safety of migrants returning home being implemented: Mayawati to UP CM

On a day 24 migrant labourers died in a collision between two trucks in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya, BSP president Mayawati asked Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday to ensure that his directives on the safety of stranded labourers returning home were being implemented by the officials.

She asked parties in power at the Centre and different states to rise above petty politics in this hour of crisis and ensure the safety of the migrants trying to make their way home amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown.

"It was only yesterday that I saw the Uttar Pradesh chief minister announcing on TV that all necessary arrangements for migrants are being made. But it seems that officials are not implementing those at ground level which led to a major accident in the state and this is most unfortunate," Mayawati said in a statement.

The collision of the truck, both carrying migrant labourers, occurred in Auraiya early in the morning. While one of the truck was coming from Rajasthan, the other was from Delhi. When some of the labourers halted on the Auraiya-Kanpur Dehat Road to have tea at a local shop, the trailer truck hit the stationary vehicle.

"Had the officials made arrangements for their food and other things they would not have got down at a tea stall in Auraiya," she said demanding strict action against the officials who have failed to fulfil their responsibility.

The BSP supremo also asked the Central and state governments and the Railways to be serious over the issue of sending migrants home safely.

"The BJP and Congress are levelling charges against each other. Politics in the name of migrant labourers is not right. Congress governments in states should take care of this issue in their states. Labourers of Punjab and Haryana crossing the river in Saharanpur to reach home. Be it the Congress or BJP government they should send migrants home safely. But they are not paying attention to it," Mayawati said.

She also appealed to migrant labourers not to try to reach home on foot, instead wait for buses and trains.

"Instead of walking home, they should go to the nearest railway station. Then the government will be forced to make arrangements for them," she said.

The BSP chief asked the government to make proper arrangement for the injured and financial assistance for the victims.