New Delhi, April 24 Former Union minister P. Chidambaram has said that the migrant workers should be allowed to go to their hometowns and villages after May 3 which could be the last day of the lockdown.
"The overwhelming mood and desire among migrant persons and their families is that after May 3, they should be allowed to go back to their home states and villages," said Congress leader Chidambaram.
He said that the desire to go back to their home states, to join their families, and to be among their own people is an overpowering desire that cannot be suppressed for too long in the name of a lockdown.
"Yesterday, CWC has rightly called upon the government to frame a humane policy that after May 3, to allow migrant persons to travel to their home states, under strict conditions of health safety," he added.
The Congress has been raising the issue of migrants as General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and demanded that the migrants be brought home.
In the country as per estimates 44 crore people work in the unorganised sector in different places in the country and during the initial period of the lockdown people are seen walking to their native places.
"The government has been aware of this problem for over three weeks and has 10 more days to frame a humane policy on migrant workers. The CWC draws the attention of the government to the necessity of framing a policy under for migrant workers who wish to return to their home states."
"Villagers may be allowed to travel under strict conditions of health safety, and provided with adequate money and food in the interim and be allowed to return to work post the lockdown and compensation for the families of those migrant workers who have lost their lives in this period of crisis." said the CWC statement issued on Thursday.
( With inputs from IANS )