Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) COVID-19 Task Force Convener G Niranjan on Friday said that the death of 16 migrant workers in a train accident at Karmad in Aurangabad district revealed the plight of migrant workers in the country.
Mr Niranjan said there is no meaning in expressing concern by Prime Minister and other dignitaries without understanding the mental agony of migrant workers.
PM should put in to service more and more trains to enable them to reach their destinations as early as possible. As the state governments are failing in making arrangements for their transport and food, the central government should come forward to take the entire responsibility. The State Governments are doing their job half-heartedly as they are afraid of shortage of labour force in their states in case migrant labor leave for their native places, He told in a statement.
Further, He also told that the central and state governments should tender their apologies to the nation for their failure in addressing the problems of migrant labour and making arrangements for their safe journey to their homes even after 46 days.
Niranjan stated hundreds of migrant labour stranded at AP border after walking a long distance to reach their native places in Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Why the Central Government is not coming forward to advise the Andhra Pradesh Government to allow them to go through the AP territory to reach their destinations.
“Why the Government of Telangana yesterday abruptly stopped the registration of migrant labour and indulged in lathi charge. What prevented the govt. from registering all the migrant labour which would have given some sort of solace and gets a kind of satisfaction as their turn of going back to their homes will come one day or another. The Central and State Governments should not play with the lives of migrant labour and they should be treated as human beings and respectable citizens of this country but not as bonded labour.,” He added.