Maharashtra govt sets up 262 relief camps for migrant workers

Amid the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus, the Maharashtra government has set up 262 relief camps for migrant labourers where they will be provided food and shelter, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said on Monday.

Since the 21-day lockdown was announced last week, migrant workers from big cities are desperate to return to their villages after being left jobless and many of them without food or shelter.

Thackeray earlier appealed to migrant labourers not to leave the state and assured to provide them all assistance.

In a tweet on Monday, the chief minister said food and shelter was being provided to migrant workers and homeless people at relief camps.

"Maharashtra government has set up 262 relief camps across the state which is presently providing shelters to 70,399 migrant labour or the homeless people to ensure that they have food, and a roof in this crisis," he tweeted.

The central government on Sunday ordered the sealing of state and district borders across the country in a bid to stop community transmission of coronavirus by migrant workers, and warned that violators will face 14-day quarantine.