Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Saturday said that the Centre and state governments should work to identify and resolve the issues plaguing small and medium businesses, which are forcing them to shut operations amid the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown.
"There are several small and medium businesses and enterprises shutting down across the country amid the lockdown. These businesses employ crores of people. The Centre and state governments should identify reasons why these businesses are shutting down and resolve them," Mayawati told here.
She said that it will ensure that the livelihood of crores of people are not affected.
"The government is also talking about starting new businesses. We are not opposed to new businesses and industries. But it would be a great respite for the poor if the government is able to keep the already established businesses running," Mayawati said.
"Some states are calling back the migrant workers who left for their home states. When these migrant workers in their state, they did not look after them or provide food. That is why these migrants went to their native places in the first place," she added.
Notably, Punjab Industries and Commerce Minister Sunder Sham Arora had recently written to the Central government to arrange trains for bringing back willing migrant workers from their home states to join work as industrial units resume operations.
Mayawati also urged the state governments to ensure employment for migrant workers within their states to ensure they don't have to leave their homes in search of work.
"Take Uttar Pradesh for example, when migrant workers came back to the state in buses and trains. The Uttar Pradesh government registered them based on their skills. Even after registration, a large number of migrant workers who have come back home are struggling to find means to survive," she said.
The BSP chief said that the migrant workers who came back to their homes in Uttar Pradesh are in bad condition. "Well educated people are left with no other option but to dig holes under the MGNREGA scheme to make a living," she said.
She said that the poor, marginalised and migrant labourers seem to be the section most-affected by the ongoing coronavirus lockdown and added that they are struggling to make a living even after coming back to their homes.
"The Central government should think about the impact it will have on education, if well-educated people are forced to do manual labour. People will think what is the point of getting an education if they have to do manual labour," Mayawati added.
Commending the Central government for deciding not to introduce any new schemes for a period of one year, Mayawati said, "Even the Centre is now saying that no expenses will be made on new schemes. Instead, they have decided to spend money on Garib Kalyan Yojna and Aatmrbhar Bharat Nirman. This is a good step. But, the benefits of these decisions should reach the poor and unemployed."
( With inputs from ANI )