In a shocking incident coming from the district of Mangaluru, migrant workers complain of giving rotten rice under the government scheme. The rotten rice was distributed to 300 migrant laborers.
According to a report on The Indian Express, the labor department distributed the rice earlier this week after the migrant workers protested in front of MRPL and demanding the authorities to arrange a train for them to return to their homes in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. According to the State President of Democratic Youth Federation of India Muneer Katipalla, the 5-kilo rice bags that were given by the labor department was an attempt to convince the migrants to stop their protest. They were later told that the transport will be shortly arranged.
Deputy Commissioner denies distribution of rotten rice
When the laborers opened the 5 kilograms rice bag given by the labor department, they found it to be spoilt and unfit for human consumption. Some of them threw it away. Muneer visited their rooms and claimed it to be a scam in the distribution of relief kits and also called for an inquiry into it. He also urged that action should be taken against the guilty. Apparently, the rice was spoilt to the extent that it was unfit for even animals to consume.
However, the additional deputy commissioner MK Roopa denied the incident and said that there wasn’t any distribution of rotten rice. She said,
“If you want, I will take you to the godown and show you. Around 500 bags are still there.”
Although, the video of the rotten rice uploaded by the Indian express has gone viral on social media.
They are migrant workers all right !! They are poor too !! But this is what our @BSYBJP gave to them as ration RICE !!!
Those who are angry please RT !!! pic.twitter.com/JrS3IwOA9i— Augustine Varkey (@logicalindianz) May 14, 2020
Migrant workers have been suffering since the imposition of the lockdown. It began with a lack of work, shelter, and food. Some of them even began walking thousands of kilometers to reach their home. The government was late to respond but announced free food and grains to be distributed to the migrants. With the recent development from Mangaluru, they have been denied even that. Many of the migrants have died during the lockdown. While a train ran over five migrants near Aurangabad, another 6 migrants were running over by bus near Delhi.
Source: The Indian Express
