Mizoram Bridge Collapse: Congress seeks more compensation, says lack of jobs forcing people to migrate for work

The Berhampore Congress MP also held a talk with Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga over the phone and requested him to look into the plight of the migrant labourer families in West Bengal. He also asked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to pay compensation to these families.

“Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is announcing more funds to the puja committees. I have no problem with that. She can increase funds for the puja committees. She can also raise the stipends for imams and purohits. But she must also consider providing compensation to these people. At the same time, the state government should consider providing them with jobs. Due to the lack of opportunities in Bengal, these workers had to migrate to other states. Therefore, the government has to create more opportunities for them in the state,” said Chowdhury.

A grieving family ; all the dead are from Malda. (Express photo by Partha Paul)

“These people are forced to go out of the state for work as there are no employment opportunities in West Bengal… Why can’t the chief minister say that she will provide these people with training, improve their skills and create jobs for them? I want to ask the chief minister, what is the number of migrant workers from the state? If you do not know this, it is your failure. The chief minister does not care about the migrant workers, which is why we do not have any data on them. The money they earn abroad runs the rural economy of the state. But, the state does not want to take any responsibility,” he said.

Meanwhile, BJP MLA and Leader of the Opposition in Assembly Suvendu Adhikari said the incident exposes the lack of job opportunities in West Bengal which is forcing lakhs of migrant labourers from the state to travel outside in search of jobs.

All four, like many others from the district, had gone to Mizoram a month ago to work as labourers in the railway project. (Twitter/ZoramthangaCM)

“Some of these jobs pose a grave danger to their lives. These opportunities are offered to them by middlemen as they provide labour at cheap rates. But they are left with no choice as the West Bengal government has failed to create employment opportunities in the state. This is the reason why so many left the state,” said Adhikari.

Reacting to Adhikari’s comments, Minister for Industries, Commerce and Enterprises, Shashi Panja, said, “When lakhs of migrant workers were returning home on foot during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the Central government did not have any statistics on migrant workers and how many were affected by it. West Bengal is the only state which is deprived of Central funds under the MGNREGA scheme. Adhikari should know that many workers are associated with the 100-day job scheme under MGNREGA. In absence of MGNREGA work, the Centre has forced them to become migrant workers.”