Demand for national policy for migrant workers

At least 20 lakh migrant workers have returned to their native towns and villages in Bihar, renewing their employment problem amid demands from political parties about the need to have a national policy for such labourers and workers.

Former president of the Bihar Youth Congress Lalan Kumar, while emphasizing the national policy for the migrants, said states and Central governments should whole-heartedly help them by unblocking all financial resources.

"The state governments should get their dues and Centre and states should come forward to mitigate the sufferings of the migrants," Kumar said.

He said migrant workers are the worst victims of the coronavirus pandemic. "They have been treated as outsiders. The Centre facilitated the return of over one lakh Indians stranded abroad, but left the country's migrant workers to their fate. People will not forget the terrible scenes of these workers walking or cycling for hundreds of miles," said Kumar.

He said the Bihar government has so far failed to provide jobs to these returnee labourers and workers.

Meanwhile, former deputy chief of Bihar Mahila Congress Manju Bala Pathak said though the state government was presenting various facts and figures on the returnee migrants, it has not said anything about its efforts to provide them jobs.

She alleged that in this crucial hour of the pandemic, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has confined himself to his residence. "It is unfair to expect anything from the CM". She said jobs to the migrants would exist only on files.