Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has ordered the state Disaster Management Department (DMD) to speed up the transfer process of Rs 1,000 into the personal bank accounts of each migrant worker who has completed the mandatory stay at quarantine centers following their arrival in the state.
As a gesture of care and kindness, the Bihar government is providing at least Rs 1,000 individually to each of the migrants who have returned to their home state.
Nitish Kumar has also promised the migrants to reimburse the expenditure they incurred against the train fares and any other expenses during the train journey, besides Rs 500 to each of them.
Incidentally, Bihar is in the midst of an all-time high reverse migration after the coronavirus-induced lockdown left the migrant workers jobless in their destination states.
On May 2, the first Shramik Special carrying 1,200-odd migrants arrived in Patna. By the end of this month, more than two million migrants are expected to return to Bihar.
Given this number, the Nitish Kumar government would spend at least Rs 200 crore under this head alone.
Cumulatively, however, the expenditure is expected to go higher as the Bihar government has also been paying additional Rs 1,000 to each of the workers for the sufferings they braved during the lockdown period when they remained stranded.
Inter-state travel was allowed only four weeks ago after the lockdown rules were eased.
In addition to the financial assistance, which will be provided by the chief minister’s relief fund, the government will provide two months of free rations to the migrants.
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