Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla, on Monday wrote to Chief Secretaries of all states and Union Territories (UTs) urging them to allow receiving of all Shramik special trains without any hindrance and facilitate faster movement of stranded migrant workers to their native places.
He also requested states to cooperate with Indian Railways in running more 'Shramik' special trains.
The letter comes a day after Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba held a meeting, through video conferencing, during which the state's representatives shared the information regarding situation during the lockdown.
"As requested by the Cabinet Secretary, all State/ UT Governments should cooperate with the railways in the running of more number of `Shramik' special trains so that travel of stranded migrant workers is facilitated at a faster rate," the letter by Home Secretary read.
"I urge upon you all to allow receiving of all Shramik special trains without any hindrance and facilitate faster movement of stranded migrant workers to their native places," it added.
Through the letter, the Home Secretary further urged the states with migrant workers to ensure that they (migrants) leave only through the trains or buses being run by the government and do not resort to walking on the roads and railway tracks in order to reach their homes.
"In the meeting, the situation of migrant workers walking on the road and on railway tracks was noted with great concern. Since their movement by buses and `Shramik' special trains has already been allowed to enable their travel to native places, all State/ UT governments should ensure that migrant workers do not resort to walking on the road and on railway tracks. In case they are found in such condition, they should appropriately be counselled, taken to nearby shelters and provided with food, water etc. till such time they are facilitated to board the `Shramik' special trains or buses to their native places," it read.
Despite multiple 'Shramik' special trains and buses being run, reports of migrant workers resorting to walking on foot to reach their native places have continued coming in from across the country.
In a tragic mishap last week, at least 16 migrant labourers were killed, and several others were injured, when a goods train ran over them between Jalna and Aurangabad in the Nanded Division of South Central Railway in Karmad police station area of the Aurangabad district.
The migrant labourers, who had been walking for several kilometres, were sleeping on the rail tracks when the mishap occurred, the railway officials said. As per Railways officials, the migrant labourers hailed from Madhya Pradesh and were walking towards home from Maharashtra's Jalna and after walking for about 36 km, they had stopped to take rest when they fell asleep on the tracks.
( With inputs from ANI )