SAD slams Pb govt over 'exodus' of migrant workers

The Shiromani Akali Dal on Sunday slammed the Congress-led government in Punjab, accusing it of abandoning migrant workers by refusing to distribute ration among them and forcing them to flee the state.

In a statement here, SAD legislature party leader Sharanjit Singh Dhillon said migrant labourers were forced to flee Punjab because the state government did not come to their aid for weeks altogether.

"The state government did not even deem it fit to distribute food material received from the Centre to migrants, leading to one death besides near starvation conditions for thousands, he said.

It is because of this that despite there being need for workers in industrial sector as well as for the paddy transplantation, the migrant labourers are choosing to go back to their homes," alleged Dhillon.

Dhillon said while Chief Minister Amarinder Singh could not escape the responsibility for the misery caused to lakhs of people, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu failed to fulfill his responsibility to feed workers and should be sacked forthwith.

The SAD legislature party leader also asked the chief minister to form district- level committees to help resolve the grievances of migrant workers.

He said even SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal had given this suggestion in an all party meeting to the chief minister but the government did not heed his advice.

"It is not too late even now to form committees at district and even at the city level for Ludhiana city to interact with labourers who have still not left Punjab, so that they can be retained," he said.

He demanded that the government should offer labourers free ration, financial incentives and tie up their employment so that they could make a fresh start.

"This is also necessary if we want to revive our industry besides ensuring availability of workers for paddy transplantation from June 10, he added.