Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had said around 1 lakh migrants had left and the those who remain would be needed to work at the construction sites.
Bengaluru, May 7:
Karnataka, roasted over stopping the trains for stranded migrant labourers, has said it will restart the service tomorrow. The government has written to nine state governments, seeking their consent to send the migrants back.
The trains are expected to run from May 8 to 15.
The state had stopped the weeklong train service yesterday, citing a begining in its construction activities. Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa had said around 1 lakh migrants had left and the those who remain would be needed to work at the construction sites. Other BJP leaders said the move will help restore the state’s economy and achieve a “resurgent Karnataka”.
The rollback came after the Congress accused the BJP-led government of forcing the migrants to stay in the state and questioned if they can be treated as bonded labourers.
Under the hashtag #MigrantLivesMatter, Congress’s former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah tweeted, “The decision to go back or to stay back should be with the labourers & not with the government. Labourers are free to choose health or work. Who will take responsibility if something goes wrong? Are we still practicing bonded labour?”
