-India Today The bulk of migrant workers, nearly 51 percent were engaged in the construction sector, including cutting and polishing of stone, painting and making tiles. About 21 percent of migrant labourers were found to be engaged in daily wage employment. Bhopal: A little more than half of the migrant labourers who have returned to Madhya Pradesh from various parts of the country do not want to return to their work places...

-The Indian Express Among the states, UP has said 21.69 lakh workers had returned. Bihar has said 10 lakh had returned; Maharashtra has said 11 lakh have left the state. Gujarat said 20.5 lakh had gone back home. A problem in dealing with issues relating to migrant labour after the lockdown was announced on March 25 has been the absence of firm estimates of the number of displaced. Various govt estimates: Last week,...

-HowIndiaLives.com/ Livemint.com Indian leaders came late to the coronavirus discussion. And when they did, they focused more on health and administration than the economy or the poor On 30 January, India reported its first coronavirus case from Kerala. The virus was not yet a global menace, but even by that day, 20 countries already had a combined 7,823 cases. However, it would not be until over a month later that top political...

-Hindustan Times Responses have been elusive on critical issues, including health care infra, PM Cares fund, schemes, and migrants In the lethal jaws of a pandemic, when lives and livelihoods are at stake, the information law of a democracy is expected to live up to its responsibilities — to empower the citizens and to ensure transparency and accountability. Free flow of information is an essential component of crisis management. And this is...

-Down to Earth The survey also reveals several other shocking facts that fly in the face of government claims on migrants. Eighty per cent migrant workers surveyed by Stranded Workers Action Network (SWAN), do not have access to government ration two months after the COVID-19 lockdown indicating food distress among stranded migrants to be as high as the first phase of the lockdown. The results are based on 821 distress calls received by...