The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday asked States and Union Territories to ensure that migrant workers do not resort to walking on roads and railway tracks to reach their native states.
In a letter to all Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that migrant workers who are found to be walking to their home states should be counselled and taken to the nearby shelter.
They should also be provided with food and water and allowed to stay in the shelters till they are facilitated to board the Shramik special trains or buses to their native places, Bhalla said in his letter.
He also asked all State and Union Territories to cooperate with railways in running more Shramik Special trains so that travel of migrant workers is facilitated at a faster rate.
“I urge upon you all to allow receiving of all Shramik special trains without any hindrance and facilitate faster movement of stranded migrant workers to their native places,” said Bhalla.
Many migrant labourers had resorted to travelling to their native places by walking during the nationwide lockdown period.
Some of them have even lost their lives while travelling to their native places.
Meanwhile, The total number of coronavirus cases in India surged to 67152 on Monday.