RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh government taking cognisance of the plight of migrant workers who are crossing the state to reach their destinations has decided to assist them with food and their onward journey.
Chhattisgarh is surrounded by 7 states and thousands of migrant workers encountering immense difficulties owing to the nationwide lockdown, are seen walking home to their villages in the adjoining states.
The state government has directed all district collectors to ensure none of the migrant labourers remain hungry and be given assistance to get as far as the border of the Chhattisgarh.
“We have instructed the collectors to make arrangement for the migrant labourers who en route the Chhattisgarh are proceeding to their respective states. Besides food and water, these workers should be facilitated to land up at the Chhattisgarh border. The migrant labourers should be provided help as they are in distress and struggling”, said the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.
Chhattisgarh is the first state to have adopted such practice on extending its help to tens of thousands of migrant labourers hailing from other neighbouring regions.
Following the lockdown, the Chhattisgarh has emerged as a transit corridor for the stranded workers from states like Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
According to the official press release over 1.5 lakh needy people are being given free food and ration daily. These also include the poor and labourers from other states.