Amid projections of a major spike in coronavirus cases around mid-May, the Maharashtra government has requested the Centre to organise special trains and take migrants from Mumbai and Pune back to their home states.
While Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has urged the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (ICMT) to ensure passage for migrants, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has formally written to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.
According to government estimates, nearly 6.5 lakh migrants are staying in camps in the state, a majority of which are in Mumbai, the larger Mumbai metropolitan region and Pune district.
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The unrest among the migrants is genuine and this was visible when a large number of migrants came to the streets off the Bandra station and demanded arrangements be made for their return.
Pawar said that the migrant workers, stranded in different parts of Maharashtra, may step out in big numbers to return to their states when the train services resume after the lockdown is lifted.
"This can lead to law and order problem', he said and demanded that special trains be organised from Mumbai and Pune.
According to him, the state government has arranged accommodation and food for migrant workers.
The Uttar Pradesh Development Forum has also apprised the government of a possible plan to ferry the migrant workers back homes. "The migrant workers in MMR mostly stay in slums that are congested. Besides, social distancing is difficult," UPDF General Secretary Pankaj Jaiswal said.
The UPDF said that permission be granted first to those who do not own a house. The booking of tickets should be done through IRCTC and details like Aadhar number of the person initiating the booking must be sought. The trains must be started in a phased and staggered manner to its destinations. "Thermal checking must be done before one boards a train," he said, adding that back in their states that should be taken to home districts by buses and quarantined.