If any State wants migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh, it would have to first seek the permission of the U.P. State government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Sunday.
Mr. Adityanath said that the migrant workers from the State had not been taken care of in some States. “Because of the kind of behaviour and misery [migrant workers had to face] in some States, we are going to take their social security guarantee in our own hands,” Mr. Adityanath said in a web interaction with some journalists.
“Other State governments cannot take our people without our permission,” he said.
‘They recover faster’
While admitting that the return of migrant workers had led to a surge in COVID-19 cases in U.P., Mr. Adityanath claimed that since they [labourers] “have more strength to fight COVID-19 and also recover quickly”.
“Wah karya karta hai, pasina bahata hai. Toh swabhivik roop se iss sankraman se joojne ki takat uske paas hai (the labourer works hard and sweats, and naturally has the strength to fight this infection),” Mr. Adityanath said.
He also went on to claim that while an ordinary person takes 14 to 20 days to recover from the virus, migrant labourers were turning “corona negative” on the sixth or seventh day.
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A “Migration Commission” would be constituted in Uttar Pradesh to link migrant workers with the State’s economy and provide them employment within the State, the government said.
So far, around 23 lakh migrant workers have returned to U.P. during the lockdown period, said Awanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department. Around 15 lakh of them had arrived in Shramik Special trains, he added.
‘Social security’
Through the Migration Commission, the government intends to provide the migrant workers guaranteed “social security” and “minimum job security”, Mr. Awasthi said.
The details of their skill mapping would be utilised in various sectors, said Mr. Awasthi. During their quarantine period, the State says it is recording the details of the skills and job experience of migrant workers so that they can be provided opportunities accordingly.
Among those returning to U.P. were paramedic workers, he said, citing that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had remarked that there was a need for such people in U.P.
Mr. Awasthi also said that Mr. Adityanath had advised officials that each migrant worker should be provided with a ration kit before being sent to quarantine. Before the completion of the 14-day period, migrant workers would also be provided ₹1,000 each for sustenance, he said.