TMC berates Centre for ‘ill-treatment’ of migrant labourers, high unemployment rate

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC), on Thursday, attacked the Centre on several issues, including increasing unemployment in the country and alleged ill-treatment of migrant labourers.

Senior TMC leader Shashi Panja snubbed the Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari for his “false” statement on migrant labourers. She claimed that Centre never had any policy on the migrant labourers and neither does it have any data on them.

“Adhikari made some false statements about migrant labourers. During Covid period when migrant labourers were returning home on foot from one state to another, the Central minister had claimed that they did not have any data available on migrant labourers. They are now shedding crocodile tears. The Centre has stopped providing funds under MGNREGA. Many labourers moved away after failing to get the money under the 100-day-work scheme. Who is responsible then? Our government has set up a policy for migrant labourers and also created separate funds for them,” Panja said.

She highlighted that the Bengal government is mulling MGNREGA-like projects in the state under ‘Khela Hobe’. Citing some data, Panja said since 2021, around 17 lakh job aspirants have gone abroad. The country has seen the highest unemployment rate under the Modi government, she remarked.

“While Hon’ble CM Smt @MamataOfficial is working dedicatedly to enhance the lives of our migrant workers through new schemes, the following are the contributions of @bjp4india govt Covid-19 mismanagement where the migrant labourers were treated inhumanly. MGNREGA workers are suffering owing to their due wages. Unemployment is at its peak in the nation LoP @SuvenduWB, time for some retrospection?” Trinamool Congress posted on its social media post X.

Panja opined that the BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar should ask his Supremo about the job crisis in India between 2017-2022. “The number of EPF contributors increased only by a mere 1.2 million, despite a booming population, proving to be an epitome of @BJP4India’s failure. PM @narendramodi, any comments?” Panja said.