Raj Thackeray-led MNS wants migrants to be registered under 'Inter-State Migration Act'

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leaders on Monday met Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari at Raj Bhavan over the issue of migrant workers registration and submitted a memorandum demanding migrants returning to Maharashtra be registered under the Inter-State Migration Act. 

A delegation of MNS leaders led by Amit Thackeray met Governor Koshyari and asserted that the migrants returning to Maharashtra should be medically examined before entering the state while pressing for the state government to register migrant workers and labourers returning for work. 

The delegation also claimed that the Uddhav Thackeray government was not responsive on the issue of bringing people from the state who are stranded abroad amid coronavirus pandemic. The MNS urged for the Governor to intervene and direct the state government to bring its citizens under Vande Bharat Mission. 

Along with Thackeray, the delegation included MNS leaders Bala Nandgaokar, Shalini Thackeray and MLA Raju Patil among others. 

In his statement, Patil said that many migrants were stranded in Maharashtra due to the lockdown and faced difficulties in reaching their respective homes. “However, if the government had a detailed registration of the migrant workers, their travels would have been executed with proper planning,” the MNS MLA added.  

Earlier, MNS chief Raj Thackeray had demanded the migrant workers to be registered under the state migrant law on their return. “This is time to rectify the mess that has been created,” he had said.

The MNS chief had said that since the migrant workers are going to their native places, the youth of Maharashtra should be given jobs. “Now, the migrant workers have left and the industries are closed due to lack of workers. Maharashtra youth should be given employment. This opportunity should not be wasted,” he added. 

During their meeting with the Governor, the MNS leaders said that locals should be given first priority in the jobs which are available. Owing to the rising unemployment due to the closure of industries, the MNS demanded that 80 per cent of jobs be reserved for locals.

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