After criticisms mounted over its decision to cancel inter-state trains to transport migrant workers, the Karnataka Government on Thursday announced that trains to 9 north Indian states would start from Friday.
The government has written to 9 states that include Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Tripura, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Odisha. So far, it has received the consent to receive migrants from only Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. The first train to Bihar will start on leave on Friday. One train a day will be sent to Manipur and Tripura.
It was alleged that the move to cancel trains following the CM’s meeting with builders. Mr. Yediyurappa had tweeted that labourers were being provided with all essential facilities and that construction activity had already started. He mentioned that directions were given to convince the workers to refrain from travelling unnecessarily.
However, Mr. Manivannan, the IAS officer in the labour department, tweeted on May 6 that the decision to cancel the trains for the time being was taken after seeing the migrant labourers rushing railway stations in huge numbers. He said that while the off-take was around 6000 per day, the inflow to stations was 25000, thereby triggering the fear of COVID. He categorically stated that it had nothing to do with builders lobby. He mentioned that the builders association is taking care of around 38000 people on record and action is being taken on small builders who have left them to lurch. He also said that the migrant workers are in no mood to wait for their turn and that it is impossible to shift lakhs on the same day. Most of them camp at the stations and such a gathering could become a COVID-19 red zone, he said.