Modi Government dedicated to alleviate sufferings of People during the 21-day Nationwide Lockdown to fight COVID-19: Union Home Minister
Ministry of Home Affairs finally today issued a order which allowing for the movements from one state to another after proper screening amid the lockdown imposed due to COVID -19 pandemic. The persons whose movement has been allowed in order issued by MHA includes Stranded labours (migrant workers), pilgrimage, tourists, students and other persons stranded at different places of their residence.
The order issued by MHA today is in continuation with the previous orders and also details the modalities for facilitating such a back migration of persons. The MHA said that all persons will be medically screened at source and destination and will be kept in home and quarantine facilities on arrival as per the guidelines. As per the notification ,the states and Union Territories should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving an sending such stranded persons. The nodal authorities shall also register the stranded persons within their domicile states and UTs. On arrival at their destination, they would be assessed by the local health authorities, and kept in home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the persons in institutional quarantine, the order said. The Centre said that moving persons would be screened and those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed. “Buses shall be used for transport of groups of persons. The buses will be sanitized and shall follow safe social distancing norms in seating,” Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said. Under the directions from the Union Home Minister, the Union Home Secretary has written to the States/UTs to take measures to create relief shelters with all basic amenities and mitigate economic hardships to prevent movement of a large number of migrant workers to their domicile States, so as to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The union home secretary issued the order in his capacity as the chairperson of the National Executive Committee under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.Several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Punjab, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, have brought back thousands of their students and tourists stuck in different parts of the country by bus. However, most of the migrant workers, tourists and other people continue to stuck in their places of work or shelter homes. While Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Assam, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh brought back their stranded students from Kota in Rajasthan, Punjab has brought.
The order sated that in case of violation of any of the above measures, the respective State/UT Government, would take necessary action under The Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the District Magistrate/ Deputy Commissioner and senior superintendent of police/SP/DCP would be personally liable for implementation of the above directions and lockdown measures issued earlier. Finally it is a sigh of relief for many workers who get stuck at one place due to lockdown and not able to return their home, now with this they can at least go back heir home
References:
1] PIB: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1609073.
2]Economic Times: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/mha-allows-movement-of-migrant-workers-tourists-students-stranded-due-to-lockdown/articleshow/75448808.cms