Chhattisgarh Govt estimates around 1 lakh stranded migrants to return

As the Chhattisgarh government is gearing up to bring back the people stranded outside in other States, the administration has so far received information about 1,09,000 people. However, the government is unsure about the exact estimate of how many people will return, Chhattisgarh Nodal Officer Sonmani Borah asserted on Saturday. He further added that they are assessing the figures as the numbers could be larger as many of its people are working and living elsewhere.

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CM directs officials to take necessary steps

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel directed officials to take necessary steps to bring back migrant labourers stranded in different parts of the country amid the COVID-19 lockdown, an official said on Thursday. As per data available with the government, over 1 lakh labourers from Chhattisgarh, were stranded in 21 States and four Union Territories ever since the lockdown imposed last month, the official said. The State's Chief Secretary R P Mandal on Wednesday wrote to district collectors, asking them to ensure health check-ups and quarantine facilities for migrant workers on their return, a senior official here said.

District-wise data on the number of migrant labourers and others who wish to return, details of their families, etc. should be updated, the Chief Secretary said in the letter. Collectors will coordinate with their counterparts in other States to gather the exact number of labourers returning to the State and their schedule so that necessary preparations can be made, he said, asking them to prepare an action plan for the same.

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Mandal also stated that chief executive officers of the Zilla Panchayats, municipal commissioners and chief municipal officers would be nodal officers for preparation and implementation of the action plan, he said. School buildings, community halls, hostels and ashrams can be used as quarantine centres for labourers, where food and other facilities will also be provided, he said.

The Chief Secretary also directed the health department to conduct COVID-19 tests on migrant workers at the border districts itself and in case of crowding, the tests will be conducted in nearby districts or at other facilities.

After screening, workers with no complications will be transported to their destination. However, they will have to quarantine themselves for 14 days, he added. Of the 1,08,315 stranded labourers, 25,207 were in Jammu and Kashmir, followed by 20,176 in Maharashtra, 13,837 in Uttar Pradesh, 15,094 in Telangana, 9,584 in Gujarat and 3,459 in Karnataka, among others, he said.

A sum of Rs 50.37 lakh was transferred in the bank accounts of 13,613 labourers to help them tide over the present crisis.

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