Uttar Pradesh: Harvard University study lauds Yogi Adityanath govt's handling of migrant crisis amid pandemic

Lucknow: In a study, the Harvard University has lauded the Yogi Adityanath government for handling the migrant crisis more effectively than other states during the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

A government spokesman claimed that study of the Harvard University was based on the humanitarian crisis of migrant labourers during the coronavirus pandemic. It found that the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh had handled the crisis more efficiently than other states.

It lauded the efforts of the UP government in making available timely and free transportation facilities, ration kits and setting up medical centres.

The model of the Yogi government was appreciated in developing a mechanism for sustenance of affected families, employment generation by skill mapping, and prevention from pandemic.

During the migrant crisis, the Yogi Adityanath government had made elaborate arrangements not only for the safe return of migrant labourers and their families but making available employment opportunities back home.

The entire approach of the Yogi Adityanath government was holistic in tackling the migrant crisis, said the study.

The UP government had booked 1604 trains of Indian Railways and round the clock free bus services to bring back 21 lakh migrants to facilitate return of 80 per cent migrant population.

To tackle the crisis, the UP government had opened 18140 quarantine centres by converting closed school, colleges, guest houses, dharamshalas into isolation centres where as many as 15.15 lakh migrants were quarantined for their safe onward journeys to final destinations.

Over 20.67 lakh families of migrant labour were provided free ration kits and free meals were provided by setting up community kitchens. It also transferred a total of Rs 1,51,82,67,000 crores into the accounts of cash starved migrants.