Migrant labour mercilessly abandoned by Centre, says Cong

The Congress on Friday accused the Centre of "mercilessly" and "cruelly" abandoning the entire category of migrant labour and termed as a cruel joke the order on inter-state movement of workers.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the "mismanagement" of migrant labour shows the approach the central government has adopted towards the poor of country.

"The Centre has mercilessly, cruelly and without second thought abandoned the entire category of migrant labour," he said addressing a press conference through video conferencing.

He said a 'fiscal injection' especially designed for the labour class was the need of the hour to help them tide over the current crisis due to the lockdown over COVID-19.

Singhvi also called for providing more money to the states to provide for the migrant labour as lakhs of them are currently stranded at state borders or are forced to walk several kilometres to reach their homes.

The Congress leader also termed the running of one train for transporting such labour from Telangana to Jharkhand as a "knee-jerk" reaction and said it was "too little, too late".

He alleged that "clearly there is avoidance technique and shifting of responsibility by the central government in taking steps to ensure the labour force reach their homes".

"It is complete hypocrisy and contradiction on the part of the Centre," he charged.

Various state governments are coordinating to bring back migrant labourers after the Centre gave the go-ahead for the inter-state movement of labourers hit by the lockdown imposed to contain spread of coronavirus.

Singhvi also said that the April 29 order of the Home Ministry on inter-state movement of labourers is a 'tuglaqi farmaan' (royal order), which is "very quaint and funny".

"It is as if it was issued by an ignorant and uncaring person and constituting a cruel joke on the migrant workers," he said.

Singhvi said "it is on the backs of these migrant labour that we enjoy our infrastructure".

He said labourers were given only four hours notice before implementing the lockdown and they needed food and water before travelling to their home towns.

The Government has not given the states any money on this front, he said, adding that migrant labour is the most vulnerable and weakest section of the informal sector.