The Covid-19 outbreak and the lockdown that followed saw migrant labourers in large numbers return to native places from cities (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Admitting that getting back labourers to work sites and factories will be a tough task, Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said both the government and private companies will need to undertake confidence-building measures for migrant workers to return to work.

At a recently held review meeting on the preparedness to resume road construction work, NHAI officials told the minister that they have identified sites where a large number of labourers are still staying in camps and work can start quickly.

Similarly, medium and small scale entrepreneurs are trying to get their workforce to facilities which are located outside crowded areas.

The government has indicated that even if the lockdown is extended, there would be some relaxations including resuming limited manufacturing and construction activities.

Sources said even an empowered group of secretaries has suggested that resuming industrial production should be allowed in areas which fall in green and amber zones. It has suggested normalcy of logistics supply can happen only when there is production of essential and other items as well.

Speaking to a group of reporters through video conference from his Nagpur residence on Saturday, Gadkari said lakhs of labourers leaving cities is a serious concern. He said it is up to the state governments and local administration to come out with a framework to encourage them to return to work.

In response to a question from TOI, the minister said, “Infrastructure sector will attract foreign fund and government’s priority is to jump-start infrastructure development activities to generate employment and push economic activities.”

On the life after Covid-19, Gadkari said “We have learnt many things from this crisis. We must manufacture more such items that we need here and also build an export market. We can take the place of other countries which are leading exporters of those items.”

