No exodus of migrant labourers, says MMRDA

The Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) on Monday said none of the 11,000 labourers working on projects across the megapolis have migrated out and they continue to be in migration camps.

The labourers will be paid a subsistence allowance during the period of the lockdown that will be reimbursed to contractors of projects, the body said, adding that requirements for food and medical aid will also be taken care of.

Various urban pockets in the country have witnessed mass migration of people rendered jobless due to the current lockdown triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Joint Metropolitan Commissioner B G Pawar said they may also be paid wages, which will be decided by a committee of financial advisor and the directors of projects and works.

Over 5,400 labourers are engaged in constructing the metro lines, 5,042 for the trans-harbour link and 576 are engaged in other projects, MMRDA added.

Metropolitan Commissioner R A Rajeev conducted a meeting on the issue on Monday and directed that all of them should be given necessary medical facilities and food. He also asked the project heads to reschedule targets for every project because of the lockdown.

MMRDA staffers will contribute a day's salary to the chief minister's relief fund, a statement said.