‘They are our people, you cannot mistreat them,’ CM Yogi to give social security to UP migrants, states must ask permission

In a move to safeguard the interests of migrant workers of the state, the Uttar Pradesh Government has announced that if any state wants to hire workers from UP, it will have to first seek approval from the state government. In a two-pronged strategy introduced by CM Yogi Adityanath here on Sunday, he also announced to form a Migrant Commission to look into the issue and create a database for the employment of migrant laborers in the state.

Since the coronavirus pandemic started and lockdowns were enforced across the country in different phases, over 23 lakh workers and migrants have returned from different states to UP.

“They are our people… and if some states want them back, they have to seek permission from the state government,” Yogi Adityanath said.

About the commission, Adityanath said it has been proposed to look into various factors associated with migrant workers’ rights and to prevent exploitation while providing an official framework to ensure socio-economic-legal support for them. Yogi also directed officials that migrant workers be given insurance so that their life is secured.

Terming the ‘workers’ as its biggest resource Yogi iterated that migrant laborers were “not properly taken care of” by various states in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown and that is the reason why states would have to take the nod of Yogi to hire these workers.

To provide them work in the state—the process of skill mapping of these migrant workers has already begun. “We are committed to providing them employment opportunities within the state as well as social security,” CM Yogi Adityanath tweeted.

In the wake of the Wuhan virus pandemic, the migrant workers have been the worst hit. Their miseries have been further compounded by the apathy shown by their respective state governments. Few of the glaring examples are Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar. While the former pushed the laborers out from his state, the latter did not even bother keeping a check or receiving the poor workers in the state.

It was Yogi Adityanath who arranged for the buses to ferry the migrant’s home. The general lack of empathy by states has provoked Yogi to take matters in his own hands.

These 23 lakh labors are the ones that build the nation and therefore by protecting their rights, Yogi has once again proved his mettle of being a leader par excellence.

About generating new employment opportunities in UP, Yogi said a German company is shifting its production facility from China to India and may start manufacturing more than 30 lakh shoes in Agra.

The German brand Yogi talked about is Von Wellx which has decided to move its factory operations from China to Agra. The company has more than 10 crore customers in more than 80 countries.

The moving of the company is the result of the reformist moves he has undertaken in recent weeks. Yogi Government suspended all labor laws except the essential ones to lure foreign companies moving their manufacturing units out of China. Over 38 labour laws have been diluted for the next three years to bring economic reforms in the state.

With a population of 22 crores and young demography—UP has the existing capacity to replace China as ‘factory of the world’. With the outbreak of Coronavirus and the anger towards China simmering, the companies that have manufacturing units in China are looking to jump the sinking ship of dragon.

The worker population might be another weapon in the arsenal for the UP government to lure these companies. With setting up of a migrant commission, Yogi has shown great foresight. The companies shifting their bases to the state will require local labor and this is where the database Yogi Government is developing will come in handy.

It will provide ideal employment opportunities to the migrant workers whilst also giving them the dignity they rightly deserve.