Telangana minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav trained his guns on the Modi government over the transportation of migrant workers.
After the Home Ministry issued a notification permitting the movement of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students, stranded in different states, the Telangana Animal Husbandry Minister put the onus of transportation squarely on the central government asking it to bear the costs. Further, he pointed out that since physical distancing is a crucial measure to contain and prevent of the virus, ensuring a safe distance between passengers in buses is an impossible task. “Bringing back stranded migrant workers in buses is not a good idea as it can lead to a potential risk of spread of the virus and thereby adversely impact the government’s attempt to flatten the curve,” he noted. Further, he said stranded migrant workers will have to travel from distances as far as 1000-1500 kilometers which will take at least 3 days. In order to cut down the travel time, the best option is travelling by trains. He said the central government has to provide special trains to facilitate smooth transportation of migrant workers. “Trains are the best option, a safe bet to aviod transmission of the virus. Migrant workers will even face problems associated with food as most of dhabas and hotels on highways are shut down due to the complete lockdown. If they are transported in trains, the migrant worker will not have to face non-availability of food,” he advised.
