Karnataka Cancels Migrant Workers' Special Trains, Allegedly To Resume Construction Activities
Millions of migrant workers who were stranded across the country due to the lockdown had began going back to their homes starting earlier this week. Karnataka government cancelled all Shramik special trains from Bengaluru to their home states from Wednesday. Now they can go only after the lockdown is lifted Let them stay put We will take care of them Captian Manivannan secretary in the labour department said.
Millions of migrant workers who were stranded across the country due to the lockdown had began going back to their homes starting earlier this week after the railways rolled out the Shramik special trains on the request of various states. However migrant workers in Karnataka may have to wait more before they can go home.
BCCL
This comes after the Karnataka government cancelled all Shramik special trains from Bengaluru to their home states from Wednesday. Karnataka had requested the Railways for two trains daily for five days to Danapur in Bihar, which later the government said is cancelled.
"Now, they can go only after the lockdown is lifted. Let them stay put. We will take care of them," Captian Manivannan, secretary in the labour department said in a tweet.
Now, they can go only after the lockdown is lifted. Let them stay put. We will take care of them.
¡ª Captain Manivannan (@mani1972ias) May 5, 2020
Even though the government has not given the reason behind the move, there are speciations that it is economically motivated. On Tuesday Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had met prominent builders in the state, the Real Estate Developers¡¯ Association as it eyes opening up the economy after the lockdown.
BCCL
Builders are said to have expressed concerns over the workforce shortage, due to the repatriation of the migrant workers. Migrant workers from Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh are the mainstay of the construction sector in Karnataka.
There is a growing fear that once the migrant workers leave for their homes, they won't come back any time soon, which will be a major blow to the economy.
BCCL
The builders have reportedly agreed to pay wages to workers for the entire period of lockdown and ensure all essential facilities, including safety gear, at workplaces.
Following the meeting, Yediyurappa tweeted: ¡°Directions were given to the ministers to convince the labourers to refrain from returning to their home states¡±.
2/4
¡ª CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 5, 2020
Barring the red zones, business, construction work and industrial activities have to be resumed. In this context, it was explained that unnecessary travel of the migrant workers has to be controlled.
Yediyurappa also appealed to migrant workers stranded not to leave for their home towns and assured them work.
"I appeal to labourers with folded hands don't pay heed to any rumors, it is the responsibility of the government to see to that you get work at the place you were working... don't take hasty decision of going to your natives. Stay here and work, as in the past," Yediyurappa said on Tuesday.
We have sent around 1 lakh people in 3500 buses and trains, back to their home towns. I have also appealed to the migrant workers to stay as the construction work has resumed now: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa. #CoronavirusLockdown pic.twitter.com/t1TmMPTu3w
¡ª ANI (@ANI) May 6, 2020
But many criticized the move and called it inhuman
Indeed Sir, and therefore Karnataka Govt. has cancelled the trains for migrants at the behest of real estate builders. In such humanitarian crisis to restrain these migrants and treat them as chhatels of builders is indeed inhuman.
¡ª Ravi Sharma (@RaviSharmaTalks) May 6, 2020
How Modern Day Slavery looks like.
¡ª Advaid (???????) (@Advaidism) May 6, 2020
BJP is a just a tool of the Super Rich, religion is just a facade to fool the populace.
Always remember, we are living and working in Cities made by our brothers, who are being enslaved. Their sweat and blood lies in every Indian City. https://t.co/HR6VvMWlOR
Karnataka, Goa- how much more will migrants be dehumanised by corporates and treated like slaves with no rights? Abandon them when your factories shut down which results in them walking hundreds of kms home and now demand they be stopped from going home because you need labour. https://t.co/eipAdBTy40
¡ª Rohini Singh (@rohini_sgh) May 6, 2020
Karnataka Government has also suspended the recently launched Seva Sindhu app to help inter-State travel during this lockdown. It used to provide help to migrant workers to find travel services to reach back to Karnataka or go back to their home state during the lockdown.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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