A case of better late than never, the Modi government in partnership with provincial governments have finally plunged into action to provide relief to migrant workers in various states and started running special Shramik Express commencing International Labour Day, May 1.
"...it is shocking and condemnable that once again apart from giving instructions to State Governments, the Central Government is refusing to take any financial responsibility. Migrant workers boarding trains from various places to return home are being forced to pay for their own tickets and also for food. Those who have been asked to board buses are being forced to pay exorbitant rates for travel". - CPI(M) Polit Bureau
A group of migrants from Odisha have called on the state and the federal governments to provide financial help in small towns such as Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Ganjam and Keonjhar.
"Odisha's own economic condition is not good. Now we are returning to these villages where thousands are already struggling for food. Going back home is survival, but there are no plans to ensure our income," said Jatin Mahapatra, who worked in a real estate firm in Delhi and is preparing to go home to Odisha.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sudden announcement of a lockdown created a crisis in businesses, job markets and industries across India. Many migrant laborers complain Modi ignored them because they are a scattered group who form no voting bloc.
Informal workers are the backbone of the urban economy by cooking food, serving in restaurants, toiling in the construction sector, plumbing toilets, and delivering newspapers and groceries.
The Modi regime and state governments in India are together providing relief to thousands of migrant workers stranded after the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown began some 40 days ago.
Trains and buses have begun services from central and southern areas to the poorer eastern states of Bihar and Jharkhand, the home states of many migrant workers who work in big cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad.
Several train services also started on May 1 from different parts of Kerala. The southern state houses some 2.5 million migrant workers from all across India, mostly from the eastern states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha.
The federal government approved non-stop trains from the states of Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Punjab to the eastern states following appeals from state governments to ferry migrants back to their villages to avoid a crisis.
With most construction sites, restaurants and factories closed, daily wage workers have become jobless and hungry following the Covid-19 lockdown that began on March 25. Several cities have seen migrants demonstrating on the streets to demand travel services to move back to their villages.
Your Daily Mass
-
At least two people died of exhaustion on the road after hundreds began walking thousands of kilometers to their homes as the government initially rejected transport on grounds that such movement could spread the virus from cities to their villages, spelling a catastrophe.
An estimated 30 percent of Indians, or about 400 million, are internal migrants. The government has no record of them as workers and no system to ensure their welfare.
The current effort, officials said, is planned amid growing demands from states and migrants. State officials and the government are also collaborating to test and ensure that travelers do not have symptoms of Covid-19.
"On the occasion of Labour Day on May 1, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to run shramik [labor] trains to transport migrant workers, tourists and students stranded across the country," said federal Junior Home Minister G. Kishan Reddy.
He said passengers are brought to railway stations in government-run sanitized buses following social distancing norms. The host states also provide them with food and drinking water at the stations.
However, some sociologists are wondering what will happen to these migrant workers when they return to their villages in the development-starved region.
The death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 1,231. There were as many as 70 deaths in last 24 hours - a record by itself. The number of cases in India shot up to 38017 nationwide as on Saturday, May 2 (2030 hours).
The total cases include 111 foreign nationals. Till Saturday morning, 26 fatalities were reported from Maharashtra, 22 from Gujarat, eight from Madhya Pradesh, four from Rajasthan, two from Delhi and one each from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana and Tamil Nadu.
Of the 1,218 deaths, Maharashtra tops the tally with 485 fatalities, followed by Gujarat at 236, Madhya Pradesh at 145, Rajasthan at 62, Delhi at 61, Uttar Pradesh at 42 and West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh at 33 each. The death toll reached 28 in Tamil Nadu and 26 in Telangana.
Meghalaya, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Assam have reported one fatality each.
The number of cases has risen to 795 in West Bengal and political oneupmanship between Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Ahmedabad reported highest single-day 20 fatalities due to COVID-19. Overall death toll in Gujarat 185 and cases 3,543.
Notably, 80 personnel of another CRPF company quarantined in Delhi after jawan tests positive for COVID-19.
A total of 42 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Assam so far, of which 32 patients have been cured of the disease and one person has died. Nine people are still infected with the disease.
The Assam government announced that it will open borders with other northeastern states from Sunday, May 3 to allow its stranded citizens to return home ! But not allow people from Sikkim to enter the state as they have to come through West Bengal.
"The opening of the borders is only for inward journey and outward movement will depend on other state governments," said Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. All people from Assam stranded in the six other northeastern states can return to their homes in their own vehicles and no passes will be required for this purpose.
"We have informed the governments of the other states in the northeast that we will open our borders from Sunday. People can come and no passes are required," he said.
The returnees will be screened at the borders and the doctors present there will decide whether to home quarantine them or to send them to hospitals, Sarma said.
The minister urged the people to reach their destinations by 6 pm as "in Assam, we are considering not to allow movement from 6 pm to 6 am".
The Assam government will also send state-run buses to the capitals of other northeastern states after a few days as they are now being used to ferry people stranded within Assam, he said.
The state government has allowed the movement of people stranded in different districts initially for three days from April 25, later extending it till April 30 and then till May 4.
The Assam State Transport Corporation will begin its regular services from Monday with half its capacity.
 |
| VT: CST Station Mumbai during Lockdown |
Punjab government on Saturday decided to test all those returning from outside, saying it can't depend on the medical examination by other states in the wake a surge in the infection count.
It also decided to ramp up coronavirus testing, with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh directing to increase the capacity to 6,000 tests a day by May-mid.
The states' coronavirus tally rose substantially in the past a few days due to a large number of Sikh pilgrims evacuated from Maharashtra's Nanded testing positive for the virus. So far, 292 pilgrims have been found infected with the virus, a government statement said.
On Saturday, the state's coronavirus count soared to 772 with 187 new cases, of which 142 were pilgrims from the state.
Referring to the fact that several staffers at the Nanded gurdwara have also tested positive for the infection, the CM said with this the Shiromani Akali Dal's claim that there was no infection case there has been trashed.
He once again asked the Opposition not to indulge in petty politicking over the issue.
This was a crucial time in the state's fight against COVID-19, the CM said.
Directing the Health Department to come out with a plan to advance its schedule for increasing the testing capacity, the CM stressed the need to be prepared for the worst.
Singh said he had already asked the Chief Secretary to coordinate with the Centre to scale up the testing capacity to 20,000 a day to cope with the influx of migrants and others expected to return to the state over the next few weeks in the wake of the new directives of the Government of India.
The rapid testing also needs to be scaled up exponentially, to at least two lakh, once it resumes, the chief secretary said.
The CM said he has also asked the Baba Farid University vice chancellor to explore the feasibility of setting up a testing facility in Jalandhar, for which the government was ready to sanction an immediate grant of Rs 1 crore.
The Congress on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must come forward and address the countrymen to enlighten them on the way ahead in dealing with the coronavirus and economic situation.
Asking when the lockdown will finally end, Congress's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the prime minister must also lay out the exit strategy from it and spell out the goalpost in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and economy.
Accusing the government of not handling the issue of migrant labourers in a humane or compassionate manner, he urged the prime minister and the Centre to ferry them to their home in sanitised trains for free, along with food.
"Will we see another lockdown? When will the lockdown finally end? The prime minister must come forward and address 130 crore Indians and enlighten them on the way ahead," Surjewala told reporters at a press briefing through video-conferencing.
The Congress also posed a set of five questions to the government and a set of seven suggestions, including some they have already made to support migrant labourers, provide food and cash to the poor.
Surjewala said the home ministry issued an order late on Friday evening, extending the lockdown till May 17, but neither the prime minister nor the home minister came forward to address the nation.
"The fight against corona shall have to be fought unitedly and not in a unitary fashion," he said.
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also said it was intriguing that the prime minister stayed away from the announcement on national television and left it to a notification issued by the home secretary.
"Unlike Lockdown 1.0 and 2.0, no objectives were spelt out for Lockdown 3.0. We think the government is obliged to spell out the objectives and the course of action after May 17.
"If the objectives are achieved, what is the course of action? If the objectives are not achieved, what is the course of action? The people wait for answers," the former finance minister said in a series of tweets.
He also made light of the government allowing transportation of migrants through trains and said, "Belated wisdom is better than no wisdom. It is another example of poor thinking and haphazard planning."
Surjewala said the nation was not informed about the lockdown extension.
"The nation was not acquainted of the way ahead or enlightened about the time limit. Neither did a conversation take place on the humongous difficulties nor on the multiple challenges. No one heard the 'Mann Ki Baat' of fellow Indians nor did we hear Modiji's 'Mann Ki Baat' and there was no one to answer lakhs of questions, doubts and apprehensions," he said.
"130 crore Indians seek answers on what is the aim of Lockdown 3.0? What is the purpose, objective and strategy?
"The nation witnessed Lockdown 1.0, then Lockdown 2.0 and is now seeing Lockdown 3.0. Will there be a Lockdown 4.0 and Lockdown 5.0 in the future? When will it end completely?" the Congress leader asked.
He also asked what was the goalpost in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and the economic situation of the country by May 17.
"What are the achievable goals by May 17, as decided by the Modi government, to deal with the infection, livelihood challenges and huge economic crisis? What concrete and positive steps will be initiated by May 17?
"What is the thought and policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the nation? What is the roadmap not only for harvesting and grant of MSP to the farmers, but also for the sowing of the next kharif crops and availability of fertilisers, seeds, and pesticides?" Surjewala asked.
He also asked what are the arrangements for ensuring livelihood and ration for over 40 crore urban and rural poor and labourers and what is the relief package for the 4.25 crore micro, small and medium industries (MSMEs) generating 11 crore jobs.
"How do you propose to ensure jobs and pay protection for middle-class and salaried people? What is the strategy for revival and restarting the tourism and hotel industry, textile industry, construction industry, automobile and IT industry, transport and aviation industry and other such sectors?
"What is the timeline for a safe and time-bound return of nearly eight to 10 crore migrant labourers?" Surjewala asked.
The Congress leader suggested seven solutions on his party's behalf, including a "Financial Action Plan Part-2".
He said the government should ensure free travel in sanitised trains of the lakhs of stranded migrant labourers within 15 days and this should be treated as its first responsibility.
Surjewala said India's poor, labourers, farmers be given Rs 7,500 through DBT in their Jan Dhan accounts, PM Kisan Yojana accounts, MGNREGA labourers accounts as also in the account of every senior citizen, widow, physically-handicapped person.
In addition, he said 10 kg of foodgrains (wheat or rice), one kg of pulses and half-a-kg of sugar per person be given to every family for sustenance.
Surjewala also demanded that the entire crop of farmers be procured at MSP and the payment made within 24 hours. Besides, the entire outstanding amount, be it of the sugarcane farmers or other farmers, be cleared within seven days.
"All recoveries from farmers should be deferred for a year and the interest waived," he said.
The Congress leader also sought a "Rs two-lakh crore salary and credit package for the MSMEs.
In West Bengal, the rift between Mamata Banerjee and Governor Dhankar has touched new height or new low!
"No time to bicker. There are no sane takers for this unseemly scenario. I have held enough close to my chest- looks like revealing is becoming unavoidable. Reply will be sent as her letter has content to which I cannot subscribe as it eclipses essence of constitution," Governor tweeted in response to some statement from the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Chief Minister said earlier. "When I read your two letters, and many earlier ones as well, I felt more sad than angry. My second emotion was one of amusement," Mamata Banerjee wrote.
"I list my favourite ones, verbatim taken from you: ... like loose cannons in public domain; driven by external script; theatrics and politicking, law unto oneself... bravado mode of collision... but respected Governor, preaching without practice and sermonising while violating, does not behove you or your office," she said.
 |
| Blogger ! |
Rahul targets Araogya Setu app
The Arogya Setu app, is a sophisticated surveillance system, outsourced to a pvt operator, with no institutional oversight - raising serious data security & privacy concerns. Technology can help keep us safe; but fear must not be leveraged to track citizens without their consent.
No comments:
Post a Comment