New Delhi, April 19: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Sunday issued a standard operating protocol for the states and union territories on how to address the issue of stranded labourers. The Centre has categorically barred the option of sending them back to their native places through inter-state movement. Nitish Kumar, BJP Ally, Slams Yogi Adityanath Government For Sending Buses to Bring Back Stranded Students From Kota.

The guidelines issued by the MHA asks the state and UT governments to instead utilise the workers in economic activities which are expected to resume from April 20. With the lockdown set to be eased in non-COVID-19 hotspot districts from tomorrow, the Centre is hopeful that the stranded labourers would be able to address their economic challenges.

The protocol issued by the Home Ministry asks the states and UTs to conduct a skill-mapping of the stranded migrants housed at the shelter camps. Based on their skills, they should be provided work after the lockdown is eased in orange and green zones.

Guidelines Issued by MHA

If the migrants want to return to the factory or establishment located in some other part of the state, where they were earlier employed, the government should facilitate their movement after a screening process. They should be allowed to leave the shelter homes only after being found to be "asymptomatic", the protocol states.

The transport facilities, which are to be arranged for the workers to commute to their workplaces, must be routinely sanitised, the guidelines state. Strict social-distancing norms must also be followed, they further said, adding that the government should also provide food and water to the migrants for their journey.

The MHA guidelines comes in the wake of migrant protests seen in Surat and Mumbai, demanding the authorities to allow them to return back to their native states.

A number of stranded labourers, during the initial phase of lockdown, also initiated a foot-journey of thousands of miles to return back to their native places. However, after the state borders were sealed, they were left with no other option but to find refuge at the shelter homes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 19, 2020 04:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).