New Delhi, May 16 (IANS): The Delhi government has ordered its officials to ensure that migrant workers do not walk on roads or railway tracks. Such persons should be taken to the nearest shelter facilities, it said.

Speaking to IANS, a government official said on Saturday that Delhi Chief Secretary Vijay Dev has directed the officials to ensure that there is a proper cooperation with the railways in running more Shramik special trains so that migrant workers' travel is facilitated.

In an order, Dev, in his capacity as the Chairperson, State Executive Committee, has told District Magistrates of Delhi and their counterpart District DCPs to ensure "that the migrant workers do not resort to walking on road and railway tracks".

The Chief Secretary has also directed that in case the migrants were found in such a condition, "they should appropriately be counseled, taken to nearby shelters and provided food and water till such time they are facilitated to board the Shramik specials or buses to their native places."

As per the official data, over 18,000 people are staying in about 340 shelters across the city.

The government has also arranged 1,900 food centres catering to over a million beneficiaries daily twice.

A number of migrants have been killed in various accidents across the country as they walked home after the sudden announcement of lockdown on March 25.

Thousands of migrant workers have started returning to their native villages and hometowns on foot or in overcrowded vehicles, resulting in deaths and fatal accidents.

At least 24 migrant workers died in a collision between two trucks in Auraiya district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday morning.

Again on Saturday, several migrant workers were killed in other road accidents in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao and Madhya Pradesh's Sagar districts.

On May 8, 16 migrant labourers died after a goods train ran them over in Maharashtra's Aurangabad.