Inter-state movement restricted to migrants only: MHA

New Delhi : The Home Ministry on Sunday clarified that the inter-state travel has been allowed only for the migrants and not for the general public. Over the last few days, lakhs of migrant workers have registered to return to their homes in various states. Many of them have taken the special trains which the Centre agreed to run after much back and forth with the states.

In a letter to the states, the Centre mentioned that only migrants stranded away from home due to coronavirus lockdown can avail the facility.

Referring to its order on Wednesday, the Union home ministry said: "The facilitation envisaged in the aforesaid orders is meant for such distressed persons, but does not extend to those categories of persons, who are otherwise residing normally at paces, other than the native places for purposes of work etc and who wish to visit their native places in normal course."

In its Wednesday order, the Home Ministry allowed stranded migrant labourers, students, pilgrims or tourists who do not have coronavirus symptoms to return to their homes. The order included some guidelines, which specifically asked the states to appoint nodal bodies and draw up protocols for the movement of stranded people.

Since Friday, as the Centre started running trains, thousands of migrant labourers have already reached their home states. Many others have taken the buses run between some north Indian states.