Mr Shah has accused Bengal of not allowing trains with migrant workers to reach the state (File)
The West Bengal government on Saturday refuted the allegations of non-cooperation by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and said that it has facilitated the return of around 6,000 migrants stranded outside the state. The state government also said it has ensured the safe return of people from other states stuck in Bengal due to the lockdown.
The state government is doing its best to ensure that migrant labourers stranded in Bengal and those stuck outside state can return home, West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay said.
Mr Bandopadhyay said so far around 6,000 people, including migrant labourers, pilgrims and students of Bengal, stranded in other states have come back.
"We have also issued 18,000 passes to small trucks so that those stuck in West Bengal can return to their states," he said.
He, however, declined to comment on the letter sent by Amit Shah to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue of migrant labourers and said it is not his subject to comment on.
Mr Shah has said the West Bengal government is not allowing trains with migrant workers to reach the state that may further create hardship for the labourers.
As the country is under a lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus, the central government has given special permission to states to ferry stranded migrant labourers, students, pilgrims and tourists.