THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan came down heavily on the centre. The chief minister said the centre has so far not responded to the state’s demand to run a special train to help the migrant labourers return to their native states. They have been stranded in the lockdown in Kerala. This is the first time the chief minister is criticising the centre after the outbreak of the pandemic. A reply has not been obtained so far despite repeated requests, he said.

Pinarayi pointed that there are lakhs of migrant workers in Kerala. The migrants from many states of the country are here and they should be sent homes at the earliest. They are unemployed due to the expected lockdown and the spread of the virus is a matter of total concern for them. The chief minister said that the state government and local governments have taken the initiative and are providing food for them through community kitchens. They want to return homes but cannot send them as all train services and road transportation have been suspended. It was in this context the state government demanded a special train for the return of the migrant workers. The chief minister said this in an interview given to a national channel.