New Delhi: The government on Tuesday told Parliament that mass movement of a large number of migrant workers during nationwide lockdown was triggered by panic created by fake news.
MoS Home Nityanand Rai was responding to a written question by Trinamool Congress MP Mala Roy.
Roy had asked about the reasons behind large scale migration days after the nationwide lockdown was announced and what had prompted them to walk home post lockdown.
"The migration of a large number of migrant workers was triggered by panic created by fake news regarding the duration of lockdown, and people, especially migrant labourers, were worried about an adequate supply of basic necessities like food, drinking water, health services and shelter," replied Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai.
"However, the central government was fully conscious of this and took all necessary measures to ensure that during the period of the inevitable lockdown, no citizen should be deprived of basic amenities of food, drinking water, medical facilities etc," Rai told Lok Sabha.
Another question asked by Roy was about the steps that the government took before the lockdown was announced, in order to protect migrant workers and the number of those who had lost their lives on their journeys back home.
To this, Nityanand Rai replied, "With a view to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the country, the central government took various measures, considered essential for the safety of people including migrant workers."
"From March 21, 2020, onwards, control room operations in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) were expanded by making their functioning 24*7 under the supervision of senior officers of the level of joint secretaries along with the representatives of key central ministries," he added.
Earlier, the central government had said that there is no data to determine how many migrant workers lost their lives because of the sudden nationwide lockdown that was and force on March 25.
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