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Bhaichung Offers His Building as Shelter For Migrant Workers

Bhaichung Bhutia has offered his building in Lumsey, Tdong, Sikkim to the migrant workers in the state.

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Football
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‘The migrant workers are the ones who have really suffered in this lockdown,’ says Bhaichung Bhutia as he talks about the hardships faced by workers who are trying now to return to their hometowns, following the 21-day national lockdown announced by the Prime Minister, in an effort to fight the Coronavirus.

On Monday, the former Indian football captain announced that he had offered his building in Lumsey, Tdong in Sikkim as a shelter for some migrant workers in the state.

‘Yesterday, we had thousands of them (migrant workers) lined up at the Sikkim border trying to cross. What I could see what a lot of them don’t have a place to stay. I saw that the friends’ of labourers working in my building had nowhere to go, so I told them to come and stay in the building. I’m sure there will be many more like them. So I offered my unfinished building,’ said Bhutia.

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The 43-year-old is himself stranded in Siliguri, away from his family in Kolkata as he was in transit when Prime Minister Modi made the announcement of the lockdown last week.

"I was returning from Kolkata and due to this lockdown now I am here (Siliguri). So I am coordinating everything from here. The building can accommodate upto 100 people. It has five floors. Already 10 workers are staying there. We are providing them food. We have asked the local government to support us," Bhutia said.

The iconic former striker said he and his team at United Sikkim FC (USFC) is also working on helping migrant workers in Bengal get ration.

"We are in talks with local authorities. Let's see what can be done for them here in Bengal also. I feel strongly for the migrant workers who hope to reach their homes," added the 43-year old.

The West Bengal government has come up with a series of measures to prevent movement of migrant labourers, directing district administrations to arrange for temporary shelters and provisions of food, and all employers to pay full wages on the due day to the workforce irrespective of whether their establishments are under closure during the lockdown period.

The Centre on Sunday directed the states to strictly follow the nationwide lockdown norms and stop the movement of people across the cities, advising them to arrange shelter, food and other facilities for migrant labourers at their workplace.

The direction came amid migration of labourers from cities to their villages in different states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced nationwide lockdown to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission.

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(With inputs from IANS)

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