Ensure migrant workers don’t travel on foot: Adityanath

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed state officials to set up police stationlevel teams to ensure that no migrant worker travels on foot or bike or in any unsafe mode.

The chief minister gave this direction amid rising cases of migrants losing their lives in road accidents while marching back home. Holding a review meeting of the lockdown situation with senior officers, Adityanath also asked authorities to take strict action against trucks and other unsafe vehicles carrying migrant workers. Stressing that state government was sensitive towards the plight of workers and labourers, the chief minister said arrangements are being made to ensure that migrants could return home safely. Instructing state government employees to adopt a sympathetic attitude towards migrant workers and extend all possible help to them, he said as soon as they enter the state, they should be provided with food and water and should be screened before being sent on their onward journey.

It is the responsibility of the district administration to provide all facilities to migrants and any laxity in this would not be tolerated, the CM told officials. He also asked officials to contact police chiefs concerned states to request them not to allow any migrant worker to embark on a journey by truck and ensure that they use bus or train for it.

Adityanath also asked district authorities to make arrangement for adequate number of buses to take migrants coming through trains to their home districts.