About 2,206 people, including homeless and the migrant labourers, are housed at community halls in Chennai city alone.
The nationwide lockdown has been hard on the migrant workers across the country, exposing a major flaw in the containment measures adopted by the government. Pictures of hundreds of migrant workers walking with their belongings on deserted highways brought into focus the plight of the working class who moved from their home towns to work in different parts of the country.
On Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy announced that two additional committees comprising of senior IAS officers will be created in the state to look into the welfare of migrant workers, students from other states and to look after the needs of the elderly, the orphaned and people living with disabilities, and to monitor the availability of essential goods. The state already has nine special committees monitoring different departments.
இங்கு தங்கியுள்ள வெளிமாநில தொழிலாளர்கள், வெளிமாநில மாணவர்களின் நலனை ஒருங்கிணைக்கவும், முதியோர், ஆதரவற்றோர், மாற்றுத்திறனாளிகள் நலனை கருத்தில் கொண்டும் அவர்களுக்கு தேவையான உதவிகளை செய்து, அத்தியாவசிய பொருட்கள் கிடைப்பதை கண்காணிக்கவும் மேலும் 2 தனிகுழுக்கள் கூடுதலாக அமைக்க உத்தரவு. https://t.co/qOG3nN2YJ7
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) March 29, 2020
On March 28, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Dep wrote to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Palaniswami requesting that the state provide food, accommodation, security and healthcare to all those from Tripura currently stranded in Tamil Nadu. Tripura has set up control rooms to all monitor the status of all its people stranded in different parts of the country.
A day before, on March 28, Tej Pratap Yadav, former Health Minister of Bihar, shared a list of 50 labourers from Bihar currently stranded in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu. “They are short of food & money. Pls help them immediately,” he tweeted, tagging the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, after which the latter assured help will be extended.
Dear @TejYadav14 ,
We will take care of them.
Dear @Vijaykarthikeyn ,
Please do the needful at the earliest. Thank you! https://t.co/5d9M6V8xL6
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) March 28, 2020
TN CM Edappadi K Palaniswami also announced that the employers of the migrant workers should take care of their stay, food, security and healthcare. Should they require more assistance, District Collectors have been directed to do the needful. Central kitchens are working to provide food to those migrant workers boarded in community halls.
உணவின்றி தவிக்கும் பிற மாவட்டங்கள், மாநிலங்களை சேர்ந்தோர், ஆதரவற்றோர் மற்றும் வீடற்றோர்களுக்கு மண்டலம் வாரியாக அரசு பொது சமையலகங்கள் மூலம் உணவு தயாரித்து வழங்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது.
இதன் ஒருபகுதியாக சென்னை வளசரவாக்கம் பகுதியில் உணவு தயாரிக்கும் பணிகள்.. #TNAgainstCorona pic.twitter.com/fd8KTZXkb6
— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) March 29, 2020
Centralised kitchens have been set up at every zone in the city. About 2,002 migrant labourers are hosted at community halls that fall within limits of Chennai corporation. An official from Greater Chennai Corporation says, “2,206 people including homeless and the migrant labourers are housed at community halls in the city. They are being fed and taken care of comfortably,” he says.
Earlier last week, GCC shared that 17 health camps have been set up in the city to screen and test migrant labourers.
Migrant workers, who were stranded without trains, are made to stay at a govt school in Egmore are getting screened by our doctors regularly.
There are 17 such camps in Chennai and #GCC is screening them and also feeding them three times a day.#HereToServe#Covid19Chennai pic.twitter.com/jwMRHeIOLn
— Greater Chennai Corporation (@chennaicorp) March 26, 2020
Greater Chennai Corporation shared that about 97 passengers from Jharkhand and West Bengal who were stranded in Chennai were being boarded at Manali Community Centre.
Tamil Nadu knows to takes care of its #Guests, better than anyone else. 97 passengers from Jharkand & West Bengal stranded at MGR Central Rl. Stn were transferred to Manali Community Centre, treated with good food & healthcare.
Now, #GCC entertains them too!#Covid19Chennai pic.twitter.com/zJ2SRbTQFv
— Greater Chennai Corporation (@chennaicorp) March 29, 2020
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Palaniswami tweeted to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that about 500 Tamil labourers are stuck at Pandharpur in Maharashtra and that they needed care. The tweet received a positive response from Maharashtra Chief Minister.
Dear @CMOMaharashtra ,
Around 500 of our Tamilians are stranded in the following location: https://t.co/0UH0ikcP5x
They don’t have enough food and a proper place to stay. Kindly help them with food, stay and please take care of them.
Mr.Ramesh +91 7502351343
Thank you so much!— Edappadi K Palaniswami (@CMOTamilNadu) March 29, 2020
Source: The News Minute