The Centre on Monday advised all states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that hapless migrant workers "do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks and asked them to counsel such individuals and also co-operate in running more “Shramik” trains carrying the labourers stranded amid nationwide lockdown.  

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to Chief Secretaries of the states and the UTs following the unfortunate incident in Maharashtra where 16 migrants in a group of 20 were run over by a goods train last week while they were sleeping on rail tracks.

Also, an accident took place in Madhya Pradesh in which five migrant labourers were reported to have been killed and 15 were injured when a truck they were travelling in overturned. They were coming from Hyderabad.

In the letter, Bhalla also referred to the meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Sunday. “In the meeting, the situation of migrant workers walking on roads and railway tracks was noted with great concern,” he said in the letter.

“Since their movement by buses and ‘Shramik' special trains has already been allowed to enable their travel to native places, all state/UT governments should ensure that migrant workers do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks,” the letter read.

The Centre on Monday advised all states and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that hapless migrant workers "do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks and asked them to counsel such individuals and also co-operate in running more “Shramik” trains carrying the labourers stranded amid nationwide lockdown.  

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to Chief Secretaries of the states and the UTs following the unfortunate incident in Maharashtra where 16 migrants in a group of 20 were run over by a goods train last week while they were sleeping on rail tracks.

Also, an accident took place in Madhya Pradesh in which five migrant labourers were reported to have been killed and 15 were injured when a truck they were travelling in overturned. They were coming from Hyderabad.

In the letter, Bhalla also referred to the meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba on Sunday. “In the meeting, the situation of migrant workers walking on roads and railway tracks was noted with great concern,” he said in the letter.

“Since their movement by buses and ‘Shramik' special trains has already been allowed to enable their travel to native places, all state/UT governments should ensure that migrant workers do not resort to walking on road and on railway tracks,” the letter read.