Humanism, financial security must drive migrant labourers’ issue: Rahul

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Humanism and financial security must drive our approach to dealing with migrant labourers amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus scare, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said.

He said at a meeting of the Congress consultative group on COVID-19, held to discuss the issues related to corona tests and migrants, that these poor workers need to be “protected “.

Rahul Gandhi said that the states should be left to follow their own methodology as different states may choose different ways to tackle the migrants issue.

Rahul Gandhi said that it would be for the states to see how they deal with the migrants stuck in their jurisdictions.

Former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram said that the migrants should be immediately provided cash as interim relief to tide over the crisis.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is Chairman of the group, said that India is lacking in corona testing and more testing was needed for the country to conquer this menace.

Former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said that the country has the capacity to triple the numbers of tests, adding that 10 million test are required to reach the threshold level.

Randeep Surjewala, Chief Spokesperson and group convenor, said that the central government’s financial plan to tackle the crisis has not worked and the government needs to step up its efforts.

Another former Minister and party MP Manish Tewari said that the party should give a proper plan to the government on “economic issues”.

The party had raised the issue of migrants in a Congress Working Committee statement on Thursday.

“The CWC draws the attention of the central government to the necessity of framing a policy under which migrant workers who wish to return to their home states/villages may be allowed to travel under strict conditions of health safety, and provided adequate money and food in the interim….”

–IANS

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