Making all arrangements for migrant workers' journey back home: Pb CM

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday urged the state's migrant labourers not to travel on foot as his government was making all necessary arrangements for their journey back home by trains or buses.

Stressing that there was no need to panic, Singh every single migrant who is keen to return home will be assisted by the state with arrangements for free travel and food.

He underlined the state's commitment to look after every person in distress and described the migrants as our fellow Indians who contribute to the state and its economy .

Punjab is your karmabhoomi, even if it is not your janmabhoomi, Singh told the migrants. According to a government statement, Singh has directed the deputy commissioners and district police chiefs to ensure that no migrant is forced to walk home to any other state or to remain hungry while in Punjab.

He asserted that it was his government's duty to ensure that all migrants keen to go back home return to their native states safely.

Any migrant found walking on the road should be transported by bus by the police to the nearest place from where he/she can board a train or bus to his/her native state, Singh directed the DCs and the police officers.

The CM said more than 10 lakh people have registered on the state portal for outbound movement from Punjab.

The state government has undertaken a massive validation exercise of all registered people by making individual phone calls to re-ascertain whether or not they are keen to return to their native states.

This is being done in view of the fact that in the last 3-4 days, around two-thirds of the industrial units in the state have commenced operations after the easing of restrictions, following which the number of people keen to travel out of Punjab has reduced considerably, he said, terming it as a welcome sign.

However, the state government would continue to ply trains to other states as long as people want to return home, said Singh. The state government has had already paid Rs 20 crore to the Railways for free travel of migrant workers to their respective states following its decision in April-end to provide free travel and food to them.

The chief minister shared that the 300th special Shramik train departed from Patiala for Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

By Sunday night, a total of 311 special Shramik trains carrying more than 3.90 lakh passengers would have departed from different districts of Punjab to various states of India, including southern and northeastern parts of the country, he said.

Migrant workers are also being transported free of charge from their homes to the railway stations by government buses across the state. Punjab has also sent state transport buses to drop migrant workers to districts of western Uttar Pradesh without any charge.

At the same time, the state government is also facilitating the return of people from Punjab, who are stranded in other states, and providing them financial assistance for travel.

The chief minister, however, expressed hope that all state governments will abide by their responsibility of transporting our people stranded in other states.

Singh said he had already written to all concerned chief ministers in this regard.