Indian National Migrant Labour Congress (INBCWF) president Dr Rama Chandra Khuntia on Thursday demanded that the Union Government immediately reimburse the travel expenditure of the migrant labourers, who have already come back homes on their own expenditures, through Sarpanches and Block Development Officers (BDOs).
“After Congress president Sonia Gandhi asked all PCC presidents to purchase tickets for migrant labourers, the Union Government said the Centre and concerned States will share the travel expenditure of migrant labourers. But 50 per cent of migrant labourers have already come back to their native places. Thus, the Centre should immediately reimburse their travel expenditure through Sarpanches and BDOs,” demanded Khuntia.
Stating that Construction Workers’ Welfare Board in all States have already given financial assistance, Khunti lamented saying that 7 lakh in Odisha, 5 lakh in Delhi and more than 5 lakh in Telangana construction have been deprived of getting assistance because their cards have not been renewed. Unorganised workers working in agriculture, forest and domestic sectors and as auto taxi drivers are registered. But no financial assistance has been given to them, he lamented further.
Dr Khuntia demanded that all contractual employees engaged in Covid fight be covered under the Rs 50-lakh insurance scheme as doctors, police, health workers have been provided.
Mentioning that 20% of poor people have no ration cards, he demanded that they also be given ration for three months. He urged the Governments to take immediate steps to pay the salary and wage of all workers engaged in various firms. He said thousands of mining workers have not got job and salary as Duburi, Neelachal Ispat Nigam, MESCO, Mathan Plants and Sukinda Chromites have stopped operation due to Covid.
He demanded that migrant and contract labourers be given Rs 7,500 as demanded by the Congress chief.