Lucknow, Dec 24 (IANS): The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has decided to appoint special officers in cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata to ensure the welfare of migrant workers in these states.

According to a government spokesperson, as per directions issued by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the officers will oversee the security and welfare of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and, if required, coordinate between them and the two state governments for assistance.

Uttar Pradesh, he said, would be the first state to have such an arrangement.

The decision, he said, was also based on information from West Bengal, where labourers from Uttar Pradesh were facing difficult times.

Uttar Pradesh, along with Bihar, has the largest migrant labour force working in other states.

During the lockdown, around 40 lakh Uttar Pradesh workers had returned home.

"Workers from Uttar Pradesh have become the backbone of economic activity in states like Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, etc. After the Covid lockdown, many were left without jobs, money or place to stay and were forced to return home. The government wants to ensure that something like this does not happen again," he said.

The appointments will start from Mumbai, said the official, where two officers would be posted immediately. They will keep a check on the facilities and security being provided to migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh. If the workers face any difficulties, the officers will intervene with local administration and try to find a solution.

A report on this will also be sent to the Uttar Pradeh government.

The officers will also reach out to workers and inform them about the various welfare schemes being run by the state government so that they can enroll themselves as beneficiaries.