-The Hindu Expanded rations will not only bring relief in this pandemic but also help sustain a nourished and healthy population Two days ago, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a ₹1.7-lakh crore package of social security measures to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic in the period of the 21-day lockdown. In respect of food security, the package falls far short of what is needed. I argue that we need to immediately...
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With no job or money, migrant workers struggle to find food -Avinash Nair
-The Indian Express Despite the directions from the state government, migrant labourers can be seen walking on the roads to reach their destinations.Avinas Ahmedabad: Shambu Prasad, a 22-year-old migrant worker from Bihar, lost his job on the very first day when the Gujarat government announced a three-day lockdown on April 22 in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak. With just Rs. 50 in his pocket and a few kilograms of wheat flour, Prasad,...
More »Coronavirus: Centre tells states to set up camps for migrant workers
-The Hindu Disaster response funds can be used for shelters As lakhs of migrant labourers and workers continued to travel on foot to reach their homes in wake of the 21-day countrywide lockdown, the Union Home Ministry has asked the States to “immediately set up relief camps” along the highways and conduct regular medical checks while observing proper social distancing norms. The Ministry also issued an order authorising the States to use State...
More »Coping with coronavirus: Big challenge for India’s 37%— ‘internal migrants’ -Seema Chishti
-The Indian Express Jagdish (22), from Madhya Pradesh, does a mason’s work and is worried that even if the contractor gives money, that would be a loan, not relief. “It would be a very big government school when built,” says Kaushalendra Trivedi (45), a recent migrant from Gorakhpur, employed as a guard in Uttam Nagar in the national capital’s Rajkiya Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya. His family is five kilometres away in a makeshift...
More »State’s measures to fight coronavirus are stripping the poor of dignity and hope -Harsh Mander
-The Indian Express Harsh Mander writes: The Indian government found it fit to charter planes with medical staff to fly in migrants from other countries. But it felt no responsibility at all to the millions of migrants stranded without work and food in every corner of the country. I won’t die of corona. Before that, I will surely die of hunger”. I heard this lament more than a dozen times from different...
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