Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to run a special train to bring back workers of Chhattisgarh stranded in other states due to the lockdown arising from the coronavirus epidemic.
In his letter, the Chief Minister stated that the instructions issued on April 29 by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for inter-state movement of workers and migrants will prove beneficial in restoring normalcy and economic activities in the state.
Baghel said the number of such workers and migrants stranded in other states and who are unable to return to Chhattisgarh is more than 1.6 lakh at present. Their homecoming becomes very important as their economic and mental conditions have to be dealt with.
The Chief Minister said the Central government's decision of imposing a lockdown to arrest the spread of Covid-19 has helped in controlling the spread of the epidemic in the state. As a result, the number of corona positive patients in the state is very less.
He said that Chhattisgarh is coordinating with other states for the return of the migrants and an action plan has been chalked out to ferry them by buses. However, it would be difficult to arrange buses and other infrastructure needed for this in such large numbers. Also, it will be extremely difficult to take care of their safety and convenience during the long-distance journeys.
Baghel suggested that in the present situation, point-to-point special trains could be run to ensure the safety, convenience and hygiene of these workers. The state government has made the request to Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard. The Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to take a quick decision on operating a special train.