Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday criticised the Uttar Pradesh government's decision to create a commission for migrant workers and called it a diversionary tactic.
"Now a new commission is being created for the workers while the Employment Exchange already exists. Whether it is NITI Aayog, new fund or now this subject of labour. Why not try to use what is already existing rather than creating something new on every matter," he tweeted.
"This is a way for the government to divert attention from its failures and wastage of public money," he added.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath decided that a commission named 'Kaamgar, Shramik (Seva Ayojan and Rojgaar) Kalyan Ayog' would be set up to employ migrant workers, who have come back to the state from other states amid coronavirus-induced lockdown.
Awsh Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, on Monday said that the state government is committed to providing employment and social security to migrant workers/labourers.
"The Revenue Department is doing the work of listing the details of more than 24 lakh people, who have come to the State by train or bus. Instructions have also been given to prepare a database of workers associated with construction workers and workers engaged in industrial units. A total of 14,75,424 people have registered themselves in the first phase of skill mapping of workers, who have come back to the State from other States," he said.
Awasthi further said that more than 18.62 lakh migrant workers have been brought back to the State through 1,361 trains.
( With inputs from ANI )