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A joint memorandum of organizations comprising of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan, Centre for Equity Studies, Rajasthan, Nirman and General Mazdoor Union, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, Rajasthan Asangatith Mazdoor Union, Suchna ka Adhikar Manch, Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti, Helping Hands, Jamiat Islami Hindi, Rajasthan, Pink City Haj and Education Welfare Society and National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Rajasthan have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to ensure that migrants and other stranded people are taken to their homes safely and without any charges levied on them by the Indian Railways.
While the Central government rescued at least a 1,000 stranded Indians from coronavirus-hit countries and got them back to India in special flights without charging them a single penny, it was reported by The New Indian Express that migrant workers from Ernakulam district of Kerala alone spent Rs. 32 lakh for their journey back home to Odisha and Bihar, after spending an average of Rs. 530 per ticket.
In this regards, the joint memorandum of organizations wrote, “To extract fares and that too more than the usual rates is absolutely unfair to the troubled people. Through the orders of the Ministry of Home Affairs, dated May 1 2020, order number 40-3/2020-DM-1 (A) and Ministry of Railways order no TC-II/2020/Spl Trains-Covid-19, we came to know that special trains are being run to help the migrants and stranded persons reach back home. The railways was charging full sleeper fare for these tickets, an additional sum of Rs. 30 for superfast charges and 20Rs for additional charges.”
Explaining the plight of the migrants the organizations said that the government knew how the migrants had been stuck without work, food and shelter and had spent the last of their money to sustain themselves during the pandemic. It was also brought to the Centre’s notice that some of the migrants who were in dire straits, had started walking back home. “These workers were shunted from one corner to another. The landlords denied them residence, they began walking towards home, and suffered even worse outcomes. They are neither the beneficiaries of National Food Security Act nor did the industry owners provide them wages under the MHA order dates 29th March and to top it some of the landlords extracted rent for this duration from them. Only the hope to reach home, kept them going through the lockdown,” they said in the statement.
In light of the ongoing crisis, they have put forth a proposal consisting of the following points for consideration.
1. To travel inter-state, please provide trains as per the demand of the state
2. Run buses to the point of departure and front the point of arrival to villages
3. Please waive off the ticket charges of travel for all travellers.
4. All migrants should be registered and hubs should be demarcated so that no unnecessary expenses or delays are caused.
5. Inter-state migrants should be provided Rs 3000 as an ex gratia to support their families.
The life of migrants became incredibly hard as the lockdown was announced. After lots of pressure from the Opposition, states and civil society, the arrangements for the return of migrants to their native villages, but even that is fraught with inefficiency and apathy.
However, it has now been reported that the Centre will bear 85 percent of the fares of the travel of migrant workers, while the states will have to pay the remaining 15 percent. Whether or not this will be implemented will soon come into the picture.
The entire letter by the joint memorandum of organizations may be read below.
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