In times of distress, the central government and the railways charge these workers a train ticket which is very disturbing. The Center did not heed the Congress’s demand to assist guest workers. Therefore, the expenditure incurred on the needy guest workers to go home is decided by the respective State Congress committees of the respective states. The central government had given the workers permission to return to the states after the lockdown reached the third stage.
Guest workers are the ambassadors and backbone of the country’s growth. When will our government realize that the Indian nationals trapped abroad should be provided with free air transportation? The Railway Ministry has handed over Rs 151 crore to the Prime Minister’s Corona Fund. What does this same generosity not show to the guest workers, an integral part of the country?
Why not give them a free train ride in a time of distress? The lockdown was announced with a four-hour notice. With this the guest workers were denied the opportunity to return home. This is the first time since 1947 that such groups of humans have walked hundreds of kilometers. And that is without food, medicine, money, or transportation. Millions of workers are still wishing to move to different parts of the country.
