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Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken to some of the chief ministers and asked them to look into the issue of mass exodus of migrant workers from different parts of the country after the announcement of the 21-day lockdown.
Joint Secretary in the ministry of home affairs Punya Salila Srivastava said Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has also asked the state governments and Union Territory administrations to provide food and shelter to the migrant workers so that they remain at the place where they are.
“The home minister has spoken to some of the chief ministers and asked them to look into the matter,” she told a press conference.
There have been reports of a large number of migrant workers leaving their work places in different parts of the country and walking down to their native places, hundreds of kilometres away facing hardships on the way.
The migrant workers are left with no option but to walk as there is no transport available after the announcement of the nationwide lockdown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.
Srivastava said the home ministry has asked the states and union territories to prevent large-scale movement of migrants during lockdown.
“Lockdown means be where you are,” she said.
The home secretary has written a letter to state chief secretaries to provide the migrant workers food and shelter.
