Lockdown 4.0: UP favours easing more restrictions but migrants influx is causing worries

Uttar Pradesh government has forwarded its suggestions to Centre about the next phase of lockdown

The Uttar Pradesh government appears to be in a dilemma over the extent of restrictions to be eased in lockdown version 4.0, following an influx of a large number of migrant labourers.

Goldsmiths heading to Kolkata waiting for transport in Lucknow on Friday night (HT Photo/Dheeraj Dhawan)

For its part, the state government proposes to restart economic activity, including retail businesses, and open up industrial units in a phased manner but a senior state government officer admitted that the arrival of a large number of migrants posed a major challenge to the lifting of restrictions. About 13.5 lakh migrant labourers have arrived in the state by Friday.

“The state government has forwarded its suggestions about lockdown-4 to the centre. The union government is likely to leave most of the decisions on easing restrictions to respective states. Only states know best about the prevailing situation,” said the officer on condition of anonymity.

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Yogi, who held discussions with his ministers and officers in the past few days, asked senior officers to ensure that no one walked or used bike to travel back home and that migrants were instead provided with transport to reach respective destinations. He also asked senior officers to make an assessment about the availability of labourers in Noida and Greater Noida region.

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His observations have come a day after the state government forwarded its suggestions about lockdown-4 to the centre favouring opening up of the industrial units in a phased manner.

“We understand the state government wants to restart industrial activity and retail businesses in a phased manner and this may be part of the preparatory exercise,” said an officer.

The state government has also authorised district magistrates to allow industrial units to get skilled/unskilled workers from other districts.

It may be mentioned that 119 sugar mills, 12,000 brick kilns and 2,500 cold storages etc were allowed to function through the lockdown. Most sugar mills have been involved in carrying out sanitisation of government buildings, public places and other areas while the distilleries have been manufacturing alcohol-based sanitisers.

Meanwhile, the state government has issued fresh orders about changing the classification of containment zones/hotspots.