Coronavirus in Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray Seeks Special Trains For Migrant Workers

 Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, to run long-distance special trains to transport migrant workers in Maharashtra back to their home states.

Migrant labourers constitute a large section of the local population in various congested areas of Mumbai, Pune, Thane, and other parts of the state. Mumbai alone has huge numbers of migrant labourers working in different sectors.

Taking to the micro-blogging site Twitter, Uddhav Thackeray observed that if the Centre expected a rise in the transmission of the virus between April 30 and May 15, it should consider utilising this time to arrange special trains to take the migrant labourers back to their home states.

The Maharashtra chief minister posted two tweets stating that approximately 6 lakh migrant workers were being provided with food, shelter, and medical help by the government, in relief camps across the state. He added in his tweet that staying away from their homes and families is taking a toll on the migrant workers.

In his earlier interaction via videoconference, Uddhav Thackeray had appealed to PM Modi to direct the authorities to run special trains to transport migrant labourers to their home states from Maharashtra. He has now reiterated this appeal pointing out the likely rise in transmission of Coronavirus.

Recently, around a thousand migrant workers gathered at the Bandra railway station responding to rumours that there would be trains to take them back to their home states. The large crowd was later dispersed by the police.

Maharashtra has been facing the brunt of the Coronavirus pandemic raging through the country with 5218 cases reported so far. It has recorded 251 deaths and 722 cases of recovery from the deadly pandemic.