Stop exodus of migrant labourers: Bajwa to Punjab CM

The Congress Rajya Sabha MP said that the state must do everything to encourage migrant labourers to stay back, otherwise it would be staring at a self-made economic crisis

Congress Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday urged Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh to take all possible steps to stop the exodus of migrant labourers to protect the economy of the state.

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Warning of a labour crisis, Bajwa, in a letter to the chief minister, said, “The state government must do everything to encourage migrant labourers to stay back, otherwise the state would be staring at a self-made economic crisis. This would add to the woes of industries reeling under the damage of Covid-19.”

He said he had received pleas from various industries in this regard.

Bajwa’s statement comes at a time when the Congress has asked all its state units to bear the cost of rail travel of migrant workers to their homes. In Punjab, 10 lakh workers, including 5.4 lakh from the industrial hub of Ludhiana, have registered to go back home.

PHDCCI MENTOR’SAPPEAL

PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) state mentor and former chairman RS Sachdeva also said the state government should stop the migrant workers from going back home. “They (government) have been trying to give support to industry to resume operations, but this will not work if workers leave. Workers’ exodus will not just hit factories planning to resume operations, but also the ones that are already operating,” he said in a statement.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) senior vice-president Prem Singh Chandumajra also expressed his concern over the issue. He said the exodus of migrant labourers from Punjab would be a major setback for the industry and agricultural sector in the state.