Anil Deshmukh: We are letting migrants walk home on humanitarian ground

With thousands of migrant workers desperate to return home even by marching on foot, the Maharashtra government has decided not to be harsh with them and let them go on humanitarian ground despite violation of lockdown norms, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said.

Deshmukh said had the train services commenced earlier, as the state government was demanding, the sufferings of labourers would have been much less.

"It is true that migrant labourers who are walking back to their home towns hundreds of kilometres away are in a way violating lockdown norms, but we are letting them go on humanitarian ground, Deshmukh said.

"They are so desperate to go home that they are ready to even face the wrath of law enforcement agencies. Hence, we decided not to be harsh with them. It is not alone my ministry but the government as a whole is trying to help them, the minister said.

"We never thought the lockdown would get extended for such a long time. We tried to speak to migrant labourers. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also made several appeals, but the migrant workers decided to return home, he said.

"During my visit to temporary shelter homes, a group of workers told me they might come back after Diwali, but now they want to go home, the minister said.

They are taking a huge risk by setting off on foot to their native places as they do not have money and resources to complete the journey, he noted.