9,000 labourers brought back to J&K in 5 days, 3,000 waiting at entry point

A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE CALLING FROM OTHER STATES AND WITHIN THE UT TO ENQUIRE ABOUT THE PROCESS TO ENTER J&K

JAMMU: With restrictions eased by the Union home ministry, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) administration has in the past five days brought back 9,000 of its labourers stranded across the country after the March 25 lockdown. State transport buses are being used to transport them.

“Officially it has almost been a week now since the process was started to bring back students followed by labourers stranded in other parts of the country. For the past four days they have started coming back from Punjab and Himachal Pradesh,” said Kathua district senior superintendent of police (SSP) Shailendra Kumar

Mishra.

“Around 9,000 labourers have come back so far and the process is continuing. As we speak there are around 3,000 more at Lakhanpur undergoing various checks and screening as per guidelines,” added Mishra.

“Once these residents enter Lakhanpur (the entry point into J&K) they are sent to their native districts for administrative quarantine for 14 days. A database is being maintained,” the SSP said.

Lakhanpur control room (01922-285329) attendant Taramani

said a number of people were calling from across the states and within the UT to enquire about the process to enter J&K. “We are telling them that before reaching Lakhanpur they must have valid permission from the administration. Once they reach us we scrutinise their pass, screen them and send them to Kathua from where health officials either send them to home quarantine under an undertaking or to administrative quarantine depending on their status,” he said.