The study further states that Gujarat sent the maximum number of Shramik Special trains in the country, after the second lockdown ended. The state government had also, reportedly, set up 231 shelter homes where 8,000 workers had stayed for 40 days.
In fact, Paatil’s claim runs contrary to what Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had stated on 5 May 2020 in an interview with Hindustan Times.
When asked about the “fears of the migrant workers,” Rupani said that the state had made arrangements for food and shelter, however, thousands of workers still wanted to go back to their homes and families. State transport buses and the Indian Railways’ Shramik trains had been employed for this.
Speaking to The Quint, Professor Kiran Desai, Director of Centre for Social Studies, also rubbished the claims that no migrants had left the state.
Desai explained that Surat is a major hub for…