Stop exodus of migrant workers, Bajwa urges Punjab govt

Congress MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday urged the Punjab government to stop the exodus of migrant workers from the state to avoid a 'self-made' economic crisis after the coronavirus lockdown is lifted.

In a letter to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Bajwa said around 10.08 lakh workers, who are an integral part of the state economy, have applied to go home and the state government should convince them to stay back to avoid a labour crisis after the lockdown.

Without these individuals, we will have a labour crisis that will irrevocably hinder our economy. With the workers gone, I fear our factories will have no labour post-lockdown, Bajwa wrote.

Bajwa said the government must do everything to encourage these workers to remain in the state, otherwise, "we are staring at a self-made economic crisis", adding to the woes of the industry already reeling under the damage caused by COVID-19.

I believe it would be better at this moment if the government could do its best to convince the workers to remain so that the industries can function again at the earliest, he added.

Referring to migrants, Bajwa said they have the right to go back but their departure raises many questions and issues.

The state has done its best to provide food, shelter and healthcare to these individuals, as well as pleas from the government to remain in Punjab. Yet, now that the central government has opened travel for stranded individuals to return home, the state is now promoting the aforementioned exodus, he said.

This shifting of position has left many industries confused. After all, in these troubled times, the drivers of our state economy look to the government for direction, he wrote, stating that he has received pleas of help from various industries due to the exodus of migrant workers.