Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday, 29 April, allowed movement of migrant workers, tourists, students etc, stranded at various places across the country but under certain conditions.
In an order, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said buses shall be used for transport of such groups of stranded people and these vehicles will be sanitised and will have to follow safe social distancing norms in seating.
“Due to lockdown, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons are stranded at different places. They would be allowed to move,” he said in an order issued to all states and union territories.
Further, it said that in case a group of stranded persons wishes to move between one state/UT and another state/UT, “the sending and receiving states may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.”
The MHA has also emphasised that the moving person would be screened and those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed.
The states and union territories falling on the bus transit route will allow the passage of such persons to the receiving states and union territories, it added.
The order also stated that on arrival at their destination, such persons would be assessed by the local health authorities, and kept in home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the persons in institutional quarantine.
“They would be kept under watch with periodic health check-ups. For this, purpose, such persons may be encouraged to use Aarogya Setu App through which their health status can be monitored and tracked,” it said.
‘Will Plan & Inform In a Day or Two’: Delhi CM
Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “The order regarding migrants was passed today by the Union Home Ministry. In this regard, we are talking to other state governments. After all planning, will inform you in a day or two. Until then, you stay at home and follow the lockdown.”
‘Kota Students Will Be Able to Return’
Om Birla, Lok Sabha Speaker and BJP MP from Kota, Rajasthan said, “After the new guidelines issued by MHA today, students stranded in Kota will be able to go back to their respective native towns. State governent will make the required arrangements for the same following the protocol.”.
Meanwhile, in a statement issued in Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said revised guidelines will provide relief to students, tourists, pilgrims and migrant workers hailing from Bihar, who are stuck in far-off places across the country.
"We had made a request to this effect and we are glad that the centre has come up with a positive response," the chief minister said referring to Monday's video conference in which he took part, along with counterparts of other states, and interacted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
‘Order After Subjecting Migrants With Untold Hardships’
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday hit out at the government over allowing migrant labourers to return to their homes only after subjecting them to hardships and for passing on the responsibility of their transport to the states.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has issued guidelines permitting migrant labourers to return by road and asked state governments to implement it while keeping in mind social distancing norms.
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