Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 12: With the stranded labourers in other States restive and embarking upon foot marches to reach their respective States, the govt needs to respond appropriately by pressing additional shramik special trains to evacuate all such work force. It was most unfortunate that several migrant workers had died in other States during the course of transit as dozens had been crushed under trains and other motor vehicles during their journey.
This was stated by Harsh Dev Singh, Chairman JKNPP & former Minister who sat on dharna to impress upon the Govt the urgency of early evacuation of all migrant work force of J&K held up in other States.
He said these workers had resorted to such foot marches out of sheer frustration and despair in view of non availability of requisite road or rail transport facility and lack of communication with the concerned Nodal Officers announced with much fan fare by the Govt.
Accusing the J&K Administration of lackadaisical approach in addressing the plight of languishing work force in outside States, Singh said that the desperation of the workers was growing with each passing day in view of lack of response from concerned agencies and defunct helplines.
“None of the workers held up outside knew about the probable date of his evacuation. No calendar had been issued by the J&K govt in this regard for any of the States. Besides several top officers had refused to make any statement in this regard with onus being deflected from one bureaucrat to the other,” Singh said.
He observed the confusion amongst the concerned authorities had further compounded the gravity of the situation with workers getting restless and attempting to reach back by whatever means which could further aggravate crisis.
He called for deploying additional shramik special trains for the said workers with proper SOPs and social distancing provisions.
Pointing towards the plight of the workers who had reached J&K from other States and were detained in quarantine centres, Singh called for provision of proper food and essential items including medical aid to the needy.
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