Following the announcement of a series of tranches relating to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the most relevant question that pops up is whether it will benefit the hapless migrant workers and the crippled economy. While a set of economic reforms is welcome, the immediate adversity before us has been the exodus of migrant workers stranded across the country. Ever since the national lockdown was announced in March, the plight of migrants has continuously been underlined. Pushed to the edge of financial distress, they have been eager to head home. After all, it is these stranded migrant workers who have had to bear the brunt of successive extensions to the lockdown. Notwithstanding the efforts by states to provide food and shelter, these workers have thronged streets on multiple occasions demanding to be sent back to their respective home districts. It is these recurring demands that made the government start special trains to ferry these migrants home. But the task has been easier said than done. Irrespective of those special trains, a substantial section of these migrants hit the highways, resolving to cover huge distances spanning across states. Walking or cycling or arranging transport with their remaining fortune, there have been several accounts of migrants leaving for their homes in utter desperation, bracing the summer heat and the uncertainty of meals. The downside of their bravery to scale huge distances by themselves has been the various accidents reported. While there are countless migrant workers stuck across highways of India, nearly 119 have been killed in accidents across train tracks and highways. So there exists an undeniable need to address the various facets of such a reverse migration being played out in the country.
The second tranche of the ambitious economic package had three crucial announcements for the distressed section of migrants. Firstly, it earmarks Rs 3,500 crore for a free supply of 5 kg of foodgrain per person and 1 kg channa per family per month for two months, for those migrants who are neither covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) nor possess State cards. The provided inclusion covers an estimated eight crore beneficiaries and brings the PDS coverage up to the legally mandated threshold of 67 per cent. Secondly, the enhancement of One Nation One Ration Card scheme which will allow for interoperability of ration cards — migrant workers can access food in states other than that of their permanent residence. Lastly, states have been asked to provide work to these migrants under MGNREGS through the summer months, extending it to monsoon. This shall enable the homebound migrants to find work in plantations, horticulture, etc. An additional outlay of Rs 40,000 crore has been announced by the government on top of the budget estimate of Rs 61,000 crore which should ensure an employment net for these migrant workers in this grim phase.
These announcements provide for temporary employment and food supply in the coming two months. However, the movement of these workers across the nation needs to be addressed as well. Heeding the adversity, the government on Saturday launched an online dashboard to monitor and streamline the movement of migrant workers across states. The National Migrant Info System (NMIS), besides acting as a central repository on migrant workers, will enable districts and states to seek and receive e-approvals, thereby streamlining the whole process and bringing accuracy. NMIS would also address the outstanding issues of contact tracing, planning of quarantine facilities and trains for incoming as well as reverse journeys in future. Hence, both individual info — name, age, sex, etc. — and spatial particulars — origin, destination, address, etc. — would be recorded and uploaded in the dashboard. The dashboard can be useful both in tracing infections in districts as well as identifying targetted beneficiaries in future. With a fourth lockdown set to begin tomorrow, addressing migrant concerns through such initiatives would have to be given precedence, especially as India tries to gradually lift the lockdown through easing curbs.