Fake news caused mass exodus of migrant workers, says Modi government in Lok Sabha

The mass exodus of migrant workers after lockdown was enforced in the country in March to curb the spread of coronavirus was because of "fake news", the Modi government said in parliament on Tuesday, a day after saying there was no data on migrant deaths.

The Home Ministry was replying to a written question by Trinamool Congress MP Mala Roy on steps taken to protect migrant labourers before the lockdown was announced on March 25, the reasons why thousands of labourers ended up walking home and several migrants labourers who died on their journey home.

"The migration of large number of migrant workers was triggered by panic created by fake news regarding duration of lockdown, and people, especially migrant labourers, were worried about adequate supply of basic necessities like food, drinking water, health services and shelter," said Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.

"However, the central government was fully conscious of this, and took all necessary measures to ensure that during the period of the inevitable lockdown, no citizen should be deprived of basic amenities of food, drinking water, medical facilities etc," said the minister

“The centre "allowed the state governments to use the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) on 28th March itself" for providing temporary accommodation, food, clothing, medical care, etc., to homeless people as well as migrant workers. To augment the funds with the states, the Centre released an advance Rs.11, 092 crores from the state disaster funds to states on April 3, Rai said.

On migrant deaths, he replied that those details were "not centrally maintained".