Chandigarh, May 24 (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Sunday directed the Deputy Commissioners and district police chiefs to ensure that no migrant is forced to walk or remain hungry while returning to his or her native state while in the state.
Any migrant found walking on the road should be transported by bus by the police to the nearest place from where he can board a train or bus to his native state, the Chief Minister said.
Till they leave Punjab, they should also be provided food and water, he directed the officers.
The 300th Shramik Special train left the state carrying hundreds of migrants to Uttar Pradesh.
Urging the migrants not to panic, the Chief Minister assured that Punjab would make sure that every single migrant keen to return home is assisted by the state with arrangements for their free travel and food.
Underlining the state's commitment to "look after every person in distress", Amarinder Singh described the migrants as "our fellow Indians who contribute to the state and its economy".
"Punjab is your karmabhoomi, even if it is not your janambhoomi," said the Chief Minister to the migrants, appealing to them not to try to undertake arduous journey by foot to their native places as his government "is making all necessary arrangements for their travel by trains or buses".
The Chief Minister said more than 10 lakh people have registered on the state portal for travel from Punjab. The state government has undertaken a massive validation exercise of all registered people by making individual phone calls to re-ascertain whether or not they are keen to return to their native states.
"This is being done in view of the fact that, in the past three-four days, around two third of Punjba's industrial units have commenced operations after easing of lockdown restrictions, following which the number of persons keen to travel out of Punjab has reduced considerably," he said.
The Chief Minister said Shramik trains carrying more than 3.90 lakh passengers have been sent from different districts of Punjab to various states of India, including states in southern India and the north-east.