'Under no circumstances will they be left in a lurch': Kejriwal on migrants stuck in Delhi

A day after hundreds of migrant workers huddled at the Delhi-UP border, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted saying that the Delhi government will take full responsibility of the migrant workers whether they decided to stay back in the capital or go back home. Kejriwal stated that if migrants wanted to go back, trains would be arranged for them, assuring that no migrant worker will be left hanging. The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has also released detailed guidelines underlining steps for the safety of migrant workers.  

Read: 'No Entry Without Valid Pass'; Hundreds Of Migrant Workers Gather At Delhi-UP Border

"We have the responsibility of the migrant labourers living in Delhi. If they want to stay in Delhi, we will take full care of them and if they want to return to their village, we are arranging a train for them. Under no circumstances will they be left in the lurch," tweeted Arvind Kejriwal.

Kejriwal's tweet came in response to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's tweet where he revealed that over 35,000 migrant workers had been ferried back to their homes to date by the Delhi government. "Till yesterday evening, 35,000 passengers have been sent by the Shramik Special train by the Delhi government. Even today, 8 trains are carrying around 12,000 passengers. Today, visiting some such centres took stock of the medical examination of the passengers," read Manish Sisodia's tweet. 

Read:COVID-19: Migrant Workers Walking Back To Native Place Face Hurdle At Delhi-UP Border

Hundreds Of Migrant Workers Gather At Delhi-UP Border

Migrant workers who were heading back on foot to their native places in Uttar Pradesh hit a hurdle at Ghazipur near the Delhi-UP border late on Saturday night. According to the migrants, the police at the Delhi-UP border check post did not allow them to move ahead since they did not have movement passes.

The development comes a day after the Auraiya incident in which 24 migrant workers were killed in a road accident. Immediately after the accident, the UP government ordered its District Magistrates to arrange buses for migrant workers who are found walking on foot.

Meanwhile, Delhi reported 19 fresh coronavirus deaths on Sunday and 422 new infections, taking the total to 148 fatalities and 9,755 cases, the authorities said.

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