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Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has said that measures to set up the migration commission should be expedited to provide jobs to migrant workers, on Monday, amid controversy surrounding his

move following Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray’s objections.

Yogi gave the directives on Monday at a meeting of his Team-11 convened to review the lockdown situation here.

“Yes, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has asked for making efforts on a war footing to set up the migration commission. The commission will be set up in the next few days in accordance with

the existing provisions of law,” said chief secretary RK Tiwari.

At a webinar on Sunday, chief minister said his government would set up the commission in the interest of workers and if any other state wanted to use Uttar Pradesh’s manpower they would

need to take the state government’s permission. “The migration commission will work in the interest of the migrant workers. If any other state wants UP’s manpower, they cannot take them away

just like that. Those states will have to do it with the consent and permission of the UP government. The way our migrant workers were ill-treated in those states, the UP government will

take their insurance, social security in its hands now. The UP government will stand with them wherever they work, whether in Uttar Pradesh, other states or other countries,” he said.

Asked if the state government would study the Centre’s Inter State Migrant Workmen Act or go for enacting a new law to set up the commission, Tiwari said, “Our basic objective is to watch

the welfare of migrant labourers and ensure that they get their wages.”

The state government’s move about its prior permission for jobs in other states may, however, have to stand legal scrutiny with experts saying there can’t be any restriction on doing

business in any part of the country. “The Constitution of India provides a fundamental right allowing every citizen free movement and the right to do business anywhere in India. The state

government can enact any law for welfare of migrant labourers. It however cannot restrict these rights,” said former advisor to governor and legal expert CB Pandey.

About 25 lakh migrant labourers have already reached the state. The state government is carrying out an exercise for skill mapping of the migrant labourers. An official spokesman said the

skill mapping so far has indicated the largest number of 1,51,492 migrant workers have come from the real estate development sector. Yogi said the skill mapping exercise should continue and

the district employment exchanges should be made useful, and help migrant labourers get a job.

Earlier, reacting strongly to Yogi’s announcement, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, in a post on Twitter, on Monday, said, “The CM of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath has stated that if the services

of workers of UP are required, then prior permission of the UP government is essential. If such is the case, then any migrant entering Maharashtra too, would need to take permissions from

us, from the Maharashtra state, our police force. Shri Adityanath needs to take cognizance of this.”

Thackeray further said, “Also, the Maharashtra government needs to look into this matter seriously. In future, whenever migrants do enter our state, they will need to be registered and their

personal details and their identification proof will need to be submitted to the police station. Only if these requirements are met with diligently, will they be allowed to enter

Maharashtra. A strict adherence to the above needs to be followed by Maharashtra.”

In another tweet Thackeray said, “Also, the migrant workers from UP will have voting rights only in UP. As per rules laid down, a voter can only vote from one place and cannot exercise their

voting rights in two places. This fact needs to be realised by CM Adityanath, by Maharashtra and other states too.”