Congress demands clear policy...On migrant workers' travel expenses
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 05 2020: Congress party has demanded the Government to come out with a clear policy on the transportation charge of migrant workers who are going back to their respective States.

Speaking to media persons at his Babupara residential quarters today, ex-Chief Minister O Ibobi said that migrant workers seeking to return to their respective States in the wake of the protracted country-wide lockdown is now a big issue in the country.

There is confusion among the masses regarding the same problem as neither the State Governments nor the Central Government has any clear policy.

The confusion has been further aggravated with the State Government saying one thing yesterday and another thing today, Ibobi rued.

MLAs are also finding it difficult to answer to queries raised by the public, he said.

With all economic activities suspended following the lockdown, many migrant workers have been travelling thousands of Kilometres on foot to reach their home States.

However, no clear Government policy to facilitate migrant workers' homeward journey could be seen till date, Ibobi said.

There is no clear policy on whether transportation charges of migrant workers would be borne by the Government.

At the same time, the Government has not yet said that it cannot afford transportation charges of migrant workers, he remarked.

Noting that the group of Manipuri people who were brought back to the State from Guwahati recently paid Rs 3000/4000 per individual as travel fare, O Ibobi who is also the CLP leader asked whether the Government was suggesting that migrant workers should bear their own travel expenses.

He further asked the Government to come out with a formal announcement whether it would bear expenditures of people who would be put in community quarantine centres for a period of 14 days after their return from other States or not.

Even though the Government has no clear policy on transportation and transportation charges of migrant workers, Congress party would not remain silent.

AICC president Sonia Gandhi has already issued directives to party offices of all States to bear travel expenses of all migrant workers who are returning to their home States, Ibobi said.

Following the Congress party's announcement to bear travel fare of migrant workers, reports emerged that the Central Government would bear 85 per cent and respective State Governments would bear 15 per cent of the travel of migrant workers, Ibobi said before asking the Government how true are these reports.

In line with the AICC's directives, MPCC has opened helpline numbers in each and every district to facilitate movement of migrant workers to and from the State, Ibobi added.

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