UP govt's demand of sending 1000 empty buses to Lucknow is inhumane: Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's office on Tuesday termed the Uttar Pradesh government's 'demand of handing-over 1,000 buses' which Congress wants to ply for ferrying stranded migrant labourers, as not only a waste of time and resources but also an inhumane act.
Sandeep Singh, private secretary of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra wrote to Awanish Awasthi, Uttar Pradesh additional chief secretary (home) in which he said: "We received your letter via email late night at 11:40 pm asking us to handover 1,000 buses along with required documents in Lucknow at 10 am."
"Migrant workers are stranded at Uttar Pradesh border, especially Delhi-UP border.At a time when thousands of them are walking on roads and have gathered at Uttar Pradesh border for registration, sending 1,000 empty buses to Lucknow is not only a waste of time and resources but also inhumane," Singh added.
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Singh further wrote: "Along with being inhuman, this approach is grossly anti-poor in nature. It does not appear that the Uttar Pradesh government is committed to helping the migrant workers."
"We are firm on our stand that we will help arrange transport of the migrant workers to their homes. We request you to appoint nodal officers so that we are able to establish coordination with them and transport the migrant workers stranded on the Delhi-UP border to their homes," he added.
Earlier on Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government had agreed to Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's request to run 1,000 buses for migrant laborers.
Additional chief secretary (home) Avnish Awasthi wrote to the personal secretary of Gandhi informing her in this regard and also sought details of the 1,000 buses. (ANI)