Migrant labourers are backbone of any city, should be incentivised to make them feel safe: Ajay Maken

The Congress on Friday said migrants and daily wagers should be given ration and cash as incentives to instil a sense of confidence in them to stay in cities during the nationwide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

New Delhi: As miseries of migrant labourers seems to be worsened amid lockdown due to Coronavirus outbreak in the country, Congress party, on Friday, demanded the Delhi Government to incentivize these vulnerable sections to make them stay and feel safe in the city.

"Migrant labourers are the backbone of any City. Workers play a very vital role in the supply chain. The Delhi government should incentivize them to make them stay and feel safe while living in the city," said Congress spokesperson Ajay Makan during a Press Conference.

He further added: "Delhi has the highest percentage of the migrant population in India. They are not only labourers for construction workers but also include self-employed as Street vendors, rickshaw pullers, ragpickers etc. We demand that Rs 7500 should be provided immediately to each of such vulnerable section per month on the basis of their records available with the state government."

While giving an example of Chhattisgarh government, which in one go had provided 2 months ration free of cost to 86% of households of the state including 70 kg rice, 2 kg sugar and 3 kg pulses, Ajay Makan said that in a similar manner, Delhi Government should also provide all households of E, F, G, H category areas of the state including all Slums, resettlement colonies, unauthorised colonies, unauthorised regularized colonies, immediately two months of ration.

He suggested that the move will cover 60% of the state households, which will give assurance to the families during this crisis.

The Congress leader also slammed Delhi government for giving go-ahead to private schools for charging one-month tuition fee and demanded that the state should be a major part of the expenses on salaries of their teachers.

He said: "It is wrong to ask private schools to take a month's fees. How will the parents pay the fee when there is a lockdown? Along with waving off the three months' school fees, the Delhi government should pay 75% of teachers' salaries so that the schools get some relief."

Maken also demanded that the government should waive off fixed electricity charges and water bills for all establishments facing closure due to the lockdown extended till May 3rd.

He asserted that the state faces an issue of scarcity of water every year, in the upcoming months. He urged the State Government to prepare a plan for those areas which have been provided with a facility of water tankers during the crisis.

"If Delhi government will supply water in those areas via tankers then it will lead to the violation of social distancing which is actually a matter of concern," he said.

Mentioning a recent case of a pizza delivery boy who has been found positive of COVID-19, Maken suggested: "The Government should issue SOP and notification for people who are exempted during lockdown to insulate them from infections."

He also said that all the 89 people who came in contact with this delivery boy should be tested immediately rather than keeping them in the current time and waiting for symptoms.

He also suggested that Rs 7500 should be given to each poor and daily wages who are working in the front line against this coronavirus pandemic. He slammed the government on the ground that 55 health workers have so far tested positive in Delhi for coronavirus due to the unavailability of personal protection equipment.