The Ministry of Labour and Employment on Tuesday informed that it has set up 20 control rooms to address the grievances of migrant workers who are facing problems due to the coronavirus lockdown.
The announcement came minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation for the fourth time in four weeks and informed about the extension of lockdown till May 3.
According to a press statement, the call centres can be accessed by the workers through phone, WhatsApp and email and are being managed by Labour Enforcement Officers, Assistant Labour commissioners, Regional Labour Commissioners, and Deputy Chief Labour Commissioners of the respective regions.
"All the concerned officers/officials have been advised to adopt a humane approach to assist the aggrieved workmen to the maximum possible extent and ensure delivery of timely relief to the needy ones," said the official statement from the ministry.
Notably, migrant workers are one of the most affected sections due to the lockdown as most of them have no work. According to an International Labour Organisation assessment, 40 crore informal sector workers in India could be pushed deeper into poverty due to this lockdown.
During his speech earlier on Tuesday, PM Modi has said the extension of lockdown was decided keeping in mind suggestions from many states, experts and the people.
He requested people to continue maintaining vigil and to adhere to social distancing during this lockdown.