Urge workers to not risk lives: Maha CM
MUMBAI: Leaders across party lines expressed grief over the death of 16 migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh in a train accident in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad district early on Friday.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed to the migrant workers in the state to not put their lives at risk, assuring them that the government was arranging trains to ferry them to their home states.
In a statement, Thackeray expressed grief over the tragedy and said that the cost of medical treatment of the injured would be borne by his government.
“We are in constant touch with the Railway ministry. A train will start from Mumbai, too, soon. I appeal to workers not to put their lives at risk. The shelter camps being operated at the district level will be functional till a single migrant labourer is left in the state. Administration is looking after their stay, food and health services. The labourers will be informed about the trains at their shelters,” he said.
His remarks came shortly after 16 workers were crushed to death by a freight train when they were sleeping on railway tracks.
The Maharashtra government has also announced the ex gratia of ~5 lakh each to the families of the deceased from the chief minister’s relief fund.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar reiterated the CM’S assurance. He said that a dialogue with other state departments is on and arrangements will be made soon.
Sharad Pawar, president of the Nationalist Congress Party, said that factory owners and contractors should take the responsibility of the workers. “They should at least inform the government, if they are not in position to do so. The state government should constitute flying squads for these workers to ensure their safety,” he said in a statement.
Calling it “heart wrenching”, Maharashtra governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said, “The news of the unfortunate death of the innocent workers, who were sleeping on railway tracks and were run over by a goods train, is heart wrenching.”
Opposition leader, and former chief minister, Devendra Fadnavis
took to Twitter to express his condolences. “Extremely saddened & shocked to know about the #Aurangabad rail accident where migrant labourers lost their lives,” he tweeted.
However, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ram Kadam said that the migrant labourers were forced to walk due to the failure of the government to make arrangements for them.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also announced a financial assistance of ~5 lakh each to the families of the deceased. “I am also in touch with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to get updates about the treatment and other arrangement being made for them,” he said.