The Union Home Ministry on Tuesday told Parliament that unexpected movement of large number of migrant workers during lockdown was triggered by panic created by fake news.
“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. 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,” MoS Home G Kishan Reddy said in a reply to an unstarred question by TMC MP Mala Roy. She had asked the reasons why thousands of these labourers ended up walking home post lockdown.
However, in reply to MP Mala Roy’s another question regarding the number of people who died during the said migration, the Minister said the Centre does not have the data as it is not maintained centrally.
The MHA further listed out the measures taken to contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country. On Monday, Union Minister of Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar had informed Parliament that the exodus saw over one crore migrant workers return to their native States.
