'No info of train coming from Mumbai given, matter sent to PM Modi': Kerala CM Vijayan

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday, May 26 said his government was not informed about the train coming from Mumbai to the state and that the move undermines measured taken by his government to ensure proper monitoring and control spread of COVID-19.

'Matter has been sent to PM Modi'

"Indian Railways decided to send a train from Mumbai to Kerala. No info about it was passed to Kerala Government. It was taken up with Railway Minister. We said that this would undermine measures taken by our government to ensure proper monitoring and control spread of COVID-19," said Vijayan.

Chief Minister Vijayan said the matter has been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "But then there was the issue of deciding to send another train in the same way from Delhi. Therefore, the matter has been brought to the notice of the Prime Minister," he added.

Vijayan said Railways should send trains to the state only after prior intimation and it was mandatory for the travelling passengers to register on the 'COVID-19 Jagratha portal.'

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'...the number of patients will increase'

"Certain arrangements are necessary to be made in the state when expats reach here. People are coming from areas where the spread of the disease is huge. Naturally, the number of patients here will increase. So far 72 cases have been reported among those who returned from Maharashtra, 71 from Tamil Nadu and 35 from Karnataka. We need to receive them with care and no one will be excluded," Vijayan said.

The Chief Minister has said around 3.80 lakh people have registered to come to Kerala from other states and of these, 2.16 lakh passes have been issued and 1,01,779 people have already reached the state. He said 1.34 lakh have registered to come back from abroad and of this, 11,189 have reached the state till May 25.

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Meanwhile, the CM said that his government will not be able to bear the expenses of providing quarantine facilities in the state. "People will have to pay for institutional quarantine facilities in the state. It is not applicable at present. The state will introduce different ranges and a lesser amount for financially backward people," he had said.

With Kerala continuing to witness a sharp spike in COVID-19 cases, the total tally touched 963 on Tuesday as 67 people tested positive, the biggest increase in a single day and those under observation crossed the one lakh mark.

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(With agency inputs)