Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Mar 31: CPI (M) leader Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami has urged the Jammu and Kashmir administration to evacuate labourers and students stranded in various States of the country on humanitarian grounds.
In a letter to Lt Governor G C Murmu, he said: “As the entire country and the world is battling with deadly Coronavirus, the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the disease has resulted in hundreds of Kashmiri labourers and students getting struck in various States of the country, including Punjab, Harayana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, UP and other States. The lockdown may make their survival difficult as these include women and children as well. A good number of those stranded have been making repeated calls to make arrangements for their safe return. No work for 21 days means no income and for a labourer surviving in various cities of the country without any income would be a tough task.”
Tarigami has explained that for the labourers, who are often employed in low-paid, precarious jobs, the lockdown measures are a double blow and the economic shock has vaporized their incomes while the transport restrictions eliminated their normal ways home.
“Reportedly several State Governments have promised to evacuate the stranded labourers, students of their States to their respective destinations. To alleviate the suffering of Kashmiri labourers and students struck in different parts of the country, it is imperative that similar decision is taken by the J&K administration urgently,” he said, adding that everybody has a right to go home.
Tarigami has stressed that the J&K Government must appoint it’s Nodal Officers in various States of the country to coordinate with the local authorities to provide much needed support to the students and labourers of J&K who are stuck there and are making distress appeals for their evacuation. Till adequate measures are worked out for the evacuation of these stranded students and labourers, there is urgent need to arrange boarding and lodging facilities for them at their present locations, he added.
Tarigami said that arrangements may also be made for the labourers from outsides States, struck in J&K and the district administrations should be directed to provide food and shelter to them till arrangements for their safe return are made.
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