Congress president Sonia Gandhi will chair an opposition meeting over the migrants’ plight and the alleged dilution in the labour laws on Friday. It will be conducted via video conference.
Fifteen parties have confirmed their participation in the meeting.
Thousands of migrant workers, for days together now, have been marching on the state highways or hitchhiking their way to get to their homes amid the nationwide lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus outbreak.
The government on Sunday further extended the lockdown till May 31.
In its latest effort, the Centre on Sunday said it has developed an online National Migrant Information System (NMIS) to track the movement of stranded labourers heading home and to further facilitate their travel.
Last week, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit the streets and was seen interacting with the migrant workers.
Referring to the congress leader’s visit, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman panned it as “dramebaazi”.
Sitharaman said that merely sitting with them or talking to them while they walk on the roads in the heat is not going to serve any purpose.
“Go walk with them, pick up their bags rather than sitting next to them and talking to them,” Sitharaman stated.
Sitharaman said that the Centre joined hands with various state governments to run special trains for the migrant labourers.
“I am urging the opposition party very politely, folding my hands and requesting them here. We must all come together and help migrant labourers in this crisis,” the finance minister said.
Sitharaman said that the Centre joined hands with various state governments to run special trains for the migrant labourers.
“We ensured that lakhs of migrant workers reach their native places, get food, essentials. Yet many are on the roads, walking back home, it is painful,” she said.
