NEW DELHI (THE STATESMAN/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The Modi government is now focusing on the sliding economy as it rightly should and this week's announcement by the Finance Minister of the details of a 20 trillion rupee (S$376 billion) relief package is a welcome step indeed.

However, whether these measures will boost the economy without the migrant labour returning to work is open to question.

The reverse migration forced by the 50-day lockdown is playing out all across India.

Rail loads of thousands of migrant workers are still in the process of going back to their homes. Is it possible for them to forget their trauma of these past few weeks of lockdown misery?

There are indeed many heart-wrenching stories of their long walks to their homes along with their children and family.

The Hindustan Times reported SWAN's study released on May 2, which said around 72 per cent of those returning home had almost run out of ration, usually provided by the local state government, and cash.

There is a risk that this exodus of labour and their reluctance to return might create a labour shortage.

In that case, the government knows this will delay the kick-start of the economy.

Some experts predict that incentives need to be offered to lure migrant labour to return. Why is the migrant labour reluctant to come back?

The basic reason is that they fear lack of security after they were left high and dry by governments and private employers.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's huge relief package is aimed to benefit migrant labour, who must be weighing the pros and cons of returning to work.

The minister has announced several measures including food and shelter schemes, easy credit and more in the Rs 3.5 trillion package which includes free food grains for 8 million migrant labourer s.

Many of these measures are significant like the 'one nation, one ration card,' universal minimum wage, and concessional l and affordable rental housing for migrant labour.

What is missing is the hard cash for their immediate daily needs.

Fortunately, as Ms Sitharaman had noted, most states have completed harvesting and the government has even procured the food grains putting an end to doubts whether the Rabi crop would be harvested at all. So at least there is foodgrain security.

Overall, one can't find fault with the labour for not wanting to come back as they cannot easily forget their lockdown trauma with no food, no shelter and no salaries.

Secondly, the villages are not so affected by the virus, as Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan claims.

The majority of the Covid-19 cases have been reported from three states - Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

Thirdly, the villagers keep strict vigil on the returning migrant labour and keep them isolated to stop getting infected.

The social security in villages and the support systems seem much better. Generally, the migrant labour work in MSME sector, construction and transportation.

A sizeable number of workers are also found in farming, household labour etc. It is they who construct the malls and multiplexes.

They work as courier boys, rickshaw pullers, dhobis, loaders, cooks, waiters in restaurants and in beauty parlours.

Their migration has been on the increase in the past few years because of urbanisation. But now there is a fear of reverse migration to the rural areas in the post-Covid situation.

Experts warn that absence of migrant labour would have far-reaching impacts on the economy and the government should be prepared to deal with the consequences.

The Centre, states and private employers must devise a contingency plan to meet the situation. Companies are already reporting labour shortage.

One economic daily has reported that business houses are preparing business continuity blueprints to lure migrant labour. More automation might be on the cards but that is for long term planning.

A humane approach towards the work force would go a long way. Around 400 million informal sector workers in India are at risk of falling deeper into poverty during the crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak, the UN's labour agency has warned.

Nitin Gadkari, minister of roads and small and medium scale enterprises, said in an interview that the government is aware of the need to address labour shortages to restart the economy.

As former Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan noted, the states and Centre should come together to figure out a combination of provisions to keep the needy households surviving through the next few months.

The need of the hour is to frame comprehensive unemployment benefits and also amend the labour laws in favour of the labour.

While normally the migrant labour waits out a crisis before going back, this time it may take longer, even one year.

The writer is a senior journalist. The Statesman is a member of The Straits Times media partner Asia News Network, an alliance of 24 news media entities.