States Asked To Contain The Movements Of Migrants Across Border

A huge number of migrant workers, mostly daily wage labourers had crossed over to Uttar Pradesh with the scarcity of resources and livelihood becoming a question for them. A lot of them even started to walk home and desperate to go back to their villages.

Kottayam: Migrant workers stage a protest, demanding means of transport to travel to their respective villages, during a nationwide lockdown in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, at Paippad village in Kottayam district, Sunday, March 29, 2020. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: After the capital witnessed massive exodus of migrant workers back to their states, the Centre on Sunday asked state governments and Union Territories administrations to effectively seal state and district borders. The move is to ensure that the migrant workers don’t leave for home towns during the lockdown, officials said. In a video conference with chief secretaries and DGPs, cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union home secretary Ajay Bhalla have directed them to ensure that there nobody moves across cities or on highways during the lockdown. A huge number of migrant workers, mostly daily wage labourers had crossed over to Uttar Pradesh with the scarcity of resources and livelihood becoming a question for them. A lot of them even started to walk home and desperate to go back to their villages. The majority of the population fleeing the capital were men but some women and children who make a living as construction labourers, factory workers, vegetable vendors, rickshaw pullers and others odd jobs. Some were found heading home after their landlord asked for rent. In another incident, a 39-year-old man, who had walked almost 200 kilometers from Delhi to reach his home in Morena in Madhya Pradesh, collapsed and died in Agra. Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi took this opportunity to criticise the government over the migration of people due to lockdown in the country. "The government is responsible for this terrible condition. This condition of citizens is a very big crime. Today, in the hour of crisis, our brothers and sisters should at least get respect and support. The government should take concrete steps as soon as possible so that it does not become a major tragedy" tweeted Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked people to take lockdown seriously. “If we keep moving, the purpose of lockdown will be wasted. I urged the migrants at the border to come back to Delhi. We even opened night shelters in some of the schools around the border areas," Kejriwal added.