Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to run a special train to bring back over 1.6 lakh migrant workers of the State stranded in various cities.
In a letter, Mr. Baghel said that taking care of the economic and mental condition of these workers and their homecoming was important.
He said the Centre’s decision to impose the lockdown helped to control the spread of COVID-19 in the State.
Mr. Baghel said Chhattisgarh was coordinating the return of the migrants with the other States and a plan was chalked out to bring them back by buses. However, it would be difficult to arrange for buses to transport such a large number of workers.
“In the present situation, point-to-point special trains could be run to ensure the safety, convenience and hygiene of these workers. The Chhattisgarh government has made the request to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. I request you to take a quick decision on operating a special train...,” he said.