BENGALURU: The government is attempting to convince the labourers in the slums, migrant settlements and camps to stay back in Bengaluru in order to resume construction activity. It is taking the help of corona warriors who are volunteering with the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
The migrants are being promised food and ration until the lockdown ends, and are also told that they don’t have to worry about their livelihood.
“We are trying to counsel the migrants from North Karnataka in the Jaraganahalli slum. The ration kits stopped recently, so we are asking the government to release again. Some construction work has also started which they can take up,” said Bhargavi Hemanth, a corona warrior.
“We are assuring them that things will become normal in two weeks. The construction work of big buildings has started and there is need for labourers. This is one reason we are counselling them,” said A N Kalyani, a trained counsellor.
“We are not holding them back and if they want to go we will support them, ” she added.
“After Karnataka began allowing migrants to go back, the government realised that they may not come back. When we were helping migrants fill out forms on Seva Sindhu, within two-three hours, we got a 1,000 requests. It went to the notice of the DIPR, which in turn, requested us to counsel them to stay back,” said Srinath C V, a corona warrior.
However, activists have called out this move, saying it is nothing but influencing the migrants to stay back for the needs of the city. Vinay Sreenivasa, an advocate and social activist, said, “Counselling is about understanding what people need and support them, not trying to change their opinion. For years, these migrants were ignored. This counselling is a form of putting pressure on them.”
“ If they want to go home, their wishes should be respected and the volunteers must facilitate them instead of being used to cater to the construction lobby,” said Maitreyi Krishnan, member, All India Central Council of Trade Unions.
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The first Superfast AC Express between Bengaluru and New Delhi will start operating from Tuesday. The train (No 02691) will run daily from Bengaluru to New Delhi at 8.30 pm and will reach New Delhi at 5.55 am after two nights. While returning, the train (No 02692) will leave from New Delhi at 9.15 pm and reach Bengaluru at 6.40 am, said an official release. Bookings opened on Monday evening at 6 pm on the IRCTC website. The first train from New Delhi will start on May 14.
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