Mumbai (Maharashtra): With thousands of migrant workers desperate to return home even by marching on foot, the Maharashtra government has decided not to be harsh with them and let them go on humanitarian ground despite violation of lockdown norms, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said.
Speaking to a news agency, Deshmukh said had the train services commenced earlier, as the state government was demanding, the sufferings of labourers would have been much less.
"It is true that migrant labourers who are walking back to their home towns hundreds of kilometres away are in a way violating lockdown norms, but we are letting them go on humanitarian ground, Deshmukh said.
Last month, hundreds of migrant labourers gathered near Bandra station here, demanding that transportation arrangements be made for them to go back to their native places. Police then baton-charged the workers to disperse them.
Deshmukh said the state government earlier tried to be strict, but extension of the lockdown "pushed the migrant labourers to the edge".
"They are so desperate to go home that they are ready to even face the wrath of law enforcement agencies. Hence, we decided not to be harsh with them. It is not alone my ministry but the government as a whole is trying to help them, the minister said.
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"Had the train services commenced earlier, as the Uddhav Thackeray government has been demanding, the sufferings of labourers would have been much less," he said.