State clears plan for evacuation of over 1.3L intrastate labourers

The intrastate sugarcane migrant labourers stuck in districts away from their villages can finally head home as the state government cleared an evacuation plan on

The intrastate sugarcane migrant labourers stuck in districts away from their villages can finally head home as the state government cleared an evacuation plan on Thursday.

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As many as 1.31 lakh sugar cane cutters, largely from Marathwada, working for 38 factories have been stuck amid lockdown.

The state government has allowed these workers to go back to their villages after they clear a health checkup by authorised medical officers and get a clearance certificate from them. The health checkup, transportation back to their villages as well as food along the way, the order says, has to be organised by the factories. The district collector will approve a list of workers willing to return home.

The GR issued by chief secretary Ajoy Mehta stated that Maharashtra Sugar Co-operative Federation had informed the government of the stranded labourers who need to return to their own farms to harvest rabi crops. Social justice minister Dhananjay Munde tweeted, “The plan for your return to home has been approved and the government has issued directions for the same...”

Meanwhile, the BMC announced that public toilets in Mumbai will be free for users during the lockdown as migrant workers are stranded in the city.

‘Did Shah call other CMs after protests?’

Maharashtra Congress chief and state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat raised questions over the migrant crisis at Bandra. During a video conference, Thorat said, “Shah called up Uddhav Thackeray immediately after migrant workers flocked at Bandra on Tuesday. There were protests by migrants in Surat, Hyderabad and Kerala. Did Shah call the CMs in those states?”