Migrant Workers

According to a report titled "Impacts of Covid-19 on women in low-income households in India", it has been found that nearly 3.2 crore women in India had "limited their food intake or ran out of food" during the Covid-imposed lockdown. The research was conducted by an advisory group Dalberg, over 15,000 women and 2,300 men across 10 states. Besides, they also talked about the availability of contraceptives and sanitary pads.

Migrant workers returning to their respective states have complained of extortion by Maharashtra police and transport services, as Maharashtra imposed a 15-day curfew. A migrant from Madhya Pradesh revealed that a traveller bus charged Rs 2500 to Rs 3000 per ticket only to desert them at the borders. Besides, the migrants were also seen crammed in jeeps entering MP which was allegedly overlooked by the Maharashtra police at the border.

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to help migrant workers, who had returned to the state during lockdown, by developing Gorakhpur district into a "textile hub". The state CM Yogi Adityanath said the government will focus on readymade garment industry in eastern UP by establishing a "big training centre" in the district. Reportedly, over 12,000 migrant workers belonging to textile sector returned to eastern UP during lockdown.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated the employment scheme for migrant workers who returned to their native place after the lockdown was not implemented in West Bengal as the state did not provide related information. The minister was replying to a Congress leader who raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on September 19. She added, "We did not get information about whether over 25,000 migrant workers returned to any district."

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