What ensures a much needed reprieve and address the immediate vulnerabilities of millions of migrant labour, the Central Government has issued a recent directives (No. 40-3/2020-DM-I(A) dated 29th March 2020) that no landlords should collect rent from migrant labours, students for one month and also empowering states to take the errant landlord to task in defiance of such orders.
What considers as a major contributing cause of defiance ot the recent lock down declared by Centre and State administration is lack of work and the provision for daily sustenance lots of migrant labours and student strangled in various stated have the increased tendency to look at option of returning their hometowns. The Centre taking congnizance of the facts has directed that food, shelter and other facilities must be made available to the poor and needy people, including migrant labourers. States have been asked to use funds from the State Disaster Response Fund for this purpose.
The direction was issued in view of reports concerning the movement of migrant labourers in the country. The 21-day national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last Tuesday had prompted a mass exodus by migrant labourers in various places, who left their places of work in hopes to go back to their hometowns amidst the lockdown.
It is added that during the lockdown, all arrangements must be made by the States to ensure that migrant labourers are provided with pay in a timely manner and without any cut.
As for migrant people who have moved out to reach their home states/towns, it has been instructed that they must be kept in the nearest shelter by the respective State/Union Territory Government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a minimum period of 14 days as per standard health protocol.
Our Comments
Although lock down is an immediate step in right direction, the government has sought strict adherence, the fact that the compulsive migration of the poor for basic survival cannot be ruled out. The migrant labour and students strangled in different parts of the country cannot afford more than a week witut even earnings. With lock down everywhere their livelihood is worst affected leaving no other choice but to return to their hometowns. Good that the Government has addressed their concern this will certainly help contain the spread of COVID-19.
The detailed direction can be viewed from the following link.