Civil society groups have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the Railways do not charge for tickets on the special trains being run to transport migrant workers back to their homes amid the coronavirus-forced lockdown.
They said all travel must be free and food expenses should be borne by the state.
The civil society organisations, who have come together to form 'National Campaign for Migrant Workers', demanded that the migrant workers returning home be provided an ex-gratia of ₹ 7,000 in lieu of the wages lost due of the lockdown.
They also appealed to the ministry of home affairs to issue directions to withdraw all the mass FIRs against the migrant workers filed in places like Surat, Bandra (Mumbai), Hyderabad where the workers protested to allowed to be go home. “The protests were an expression of genuine distress,” said the activists.
The campaign also urged the MHA to withdraw the May 2 order, clarifying the definition of stranded workers.
The Home Ministry had on Sunday made it clear that the relaxations given for the movement of people during the lockdown were available only to distressed migrant workers.
It clarified that the order is not applicable to those categories of persons who are otherwise residing normally at places other than native places for purposes of work etc and those who wish to visit their native place in normal course.