Bid to provoke returnees: CM - Why were migrants not brought back before lockdown, asks Mamata

Meghdeep Bhattacharyya, TT, 4.06.20, Calcutta: Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday lambasted her opponents for allegedly trying to provoke migrant workers and others who had returned to Bengal after being stranded elsewhere in the country during the first three phases of the lockdown.

“Some outsiders will come — will not even give a morsel of food — and provoke. Will try to get you to react. Some have already started saying that we supposedly did not want to let you in. Had that been the case, how did 2.4 lakh people already arrive in the state, only on trains? Another 1.5 lakh people, coming on trains, within June 10. By road, another 6.5 lakh have also come. If we did not allow entry, then how are 10.5 lakh people returning?” the chief minister asked.

Mamata was trying to clarify that what she had told the Centre regarding the return of the stranded people was being “deliberately misinterpreted”.

Amid the rising number of Covid-19 patients across the country, the plight of migrant labourers has taken centre-stage as questions are being raised on why Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24 on a four-hour notice without any measures to mitigate the sufferings of vulnerable sections.

“Why couldn’t they, who have so much to say now, ensure that the migrant workers and others were brought back to their states 72 hours before the lockdown was implemented? Why wasn’t it planned? This would have saved them three months of suffering,” said Mamata.

The Centre and national BJP leaders — especially railway minister Piyush Goyal — seemed keen to focus on alleged shortcomings in Opposition-ruled states’ attempts to tackle the migrant crisis. It came apparently as a follow-up to the BJP Bengal unit’s zealous attempts to accuse the Mamata government of not doing enough to bring back the migrants.

“If they felt so much for migrant workers, why were they charging them fares? Railway has commercial obligations, but it has social obligations, too, first of which is service to the people,” she said.

While chief secretary Rajiva Sinha said over Rs 200 crore had already been spent by the Bengal government for the return and well-being of migrant workers, Mamata shared some details.

“When nobody had even looked their way, we sent money to 4.57 lakh stranded workers from Bengal, Rs 1,000 each (Rs 45.7 crore). For the fare of 235 trains, we are spending Rs 25 crore despite being a cash-strapped, debt-stressed state with zero income in the lockdown,” she said.

“Internal transportation with 9,000 buses, Rs 11 crore already spent. Buses from other states, Rs 4 crore spent. Institutional quarantine for thousands costs Rs 3 crore daily. We spent Rs 8 crore on health screening already. Crores and crores being spent on food for them. Free rations till September,” the chief minister added.

“Despite that, some here only provoke, offer no help. There should be legal action against such people.”

Mamata once again questioned railways for cramming thousands into trains without food and water over two-three days in the heat.

“They (the railways) were supposed to send them in sanitised conditions, with social distancing. Instead, they are making them more vulnerable to the disease. One seat for one person could have easily been ensured. There are enough trains, enough compartments. Railway has its own drinking water, food could have been ensured from the IRCTC,” she said.

Mamata said her government was preparing a specific plan of action for migrant workers with five-fold priorities.

“Our first priority is to receive them. Second, to take care of their health. Third, get them food. Fourth, send them home. If they are not well, then we have to take care of them. Fifth, we are looking to get them employed in the state…. It cannot be done in a day or a month, but phase by phase,” the chief minister said.

“It is better if they don’t leave the state. Let them stay and settle here. We will take care of them, it is our obligation,” she added.