Bengal govt to transfer Rs 1,000 to 1 lakh migrants stuck in other states
The hope of returning home for migrants diminished early this week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown by more than two more weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
The campaign, called Snehar Porosh, will also ensure food supply to migrant labourers. (Express photo/Deepak Joshi)
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The West Bengal government on Saturday launched a scheme to provide one-time financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to around 1 lakh migrant workers stranded in other states due to the extended nationwide lockdown.
The campaign, called Snehar Porosh, will also ensure food supply to migrant labourers. According to an official, they are mostly stranded in Kerala, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai.
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Addressing media persons at the state secretariat, Nabanna, Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha said, “We have been sending food to them. Now, we have decided to transfer Rs 1,000 as financial assistance to them. We will give this money through a mobile application after a small verification.”
He said the government would start sending money from Monday. Twelve patients have died of the novel coronavirus and 178 have been infected with SARS-CoV 2, the virus that causes the disease, in the state.
The hope of returning home for migrants diminished early this week when Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown by more than two more weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly urged workers from the state to stay wherever they are.
Atri Mitra is a Special Correspondent of The Indian Express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from West Bengal, Bihar and the North-East. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen interest in political development in West Bengal.
Atri holds a Master degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University and Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
He started his career with leading vernacular daily the Anandabazar Patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as Bihar correspondent for more than three years for Anandabazar Patrika. He covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and covered the Bihar Lok Sabha election in 2019. ... Read More
