The Bengal government on Sunday dispatched a convoy of five vehicles, comprising two air-conditioned ambulances and a police escort, to Uttar Pradesh to bring the bodies of six migrant workers who had been killed in a road accident along with 20 others in the northern state.
The Trinamul Congress-led government’s response to the incident — the latest to highlight the grim plight of migrant workers stranded by the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown since March — comes in the wake of repeated criticism from the BJP and its government at the Centre.
The Centre and the BJP have seemed keen to shift the blame of the immense crisis to states ruled by non-BJP parties.
“The normal protocol is to wait for death certificates to be issued before government officials are dispatched. But this time, we were directed to respond and disburse compensation as soon as possible after receiving confirmation of death from the Uttar Pradesh government,” said a senior official in Purulia.
On Sunday morning, district magistrate Rahul Majumdar and minister Santiram Mahato visited the families of the deceased workers and handed them cheques worth Rs 2 lakh each.
“In addition to the prompt response, the despatch of a convoy was also unprecedented,” the official added.
Trinamul insiders in Calcutta hinted that the party leadership’s swift response to the hot button issue was meant to send out a “strong message” on the party’s concerned stance regarding migrant workers.
“The BJP has been trying to manipulate the topic of migrant workers to attack the state government. So, in Purulia, we were very cautious after the deaths were reported. The last two persons who died at hospital on early Sunday morning — compensation was provided to their family members within few hours,” said a Trinamul leader in Purulia.
On Saturday morning, five migrant workers — four from Purulia and one from North Dinajpur — were killed when two trucks collided in Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya area. Two more injured workers from Purulia: Dhiren Mahato, 32, and Swapan Rajwar, 28, died early on Sunday morning at a hospital in Uttar Pradesh.
Sources said the district administration had arranged for two ambulances immediately and hired two private cars to transport family members of the deceased, with a police escort to Uttar Pradesh on late Saturday night. The convoy reached Mughalsarai on Sunday morning. Sources said the state government had also arranged for meals for all family members.
“We have arranged air-conditioned ambulances and cars to bring the bodies back. We have also sent family members to the spot with proper arrangements to escort the bodies back,” said Purulia district magistrate Rahul Majumdar.
Senior officials said this was the first time such detailed arrangements had been made to transport a body back to Bengal following a mishap.
“We are really happy with the arrangement the government made for us. We will reach home on Monday morning,” said Alok Rajwar, cousin of deceased Chandan Rajwar.
Later on Sunday, BJP leaders headed by Purulia district president Vidyasagar Chakraborty visited the homes of the five workers and raised slogans alleging that the state should give them better compensation.
“Rs 2 lakh is not enough at all to compensate the families of migrant workers who had to move because of the lack of jobs here. So we demand at least Rs 10 lakh compensation per family,” said Chakraborty.
Santiram Mahato, Trinmaul’s Purulia district president, criticised the saffron party for “playing politics” at a time when family members were mourning the deaths of their sons. “It was not a time to do politics. The compensation is a primary issue and we will help the families with different government subsidies and schemes,” said Mahato.
A group of CPM leaders in Purulia also visited houses of the deceased migrant workers on Sunday afternoon.