Across states, officials gear up to handle migrants’ return

Nodal authorities have been appointed, quarantine facilities are being set up for those coming back

NEW DELHI: Several states appointed nodal authorities and kick-started formalities to bring back their residents --- migrant workers, students and others --who are stranded in different parts of the country because of the ongoing lockdown imposed to stop the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak. According to state government estimates, there are close to 10 million migrant workers stranded in different states, who will travel back home by bus, in possibly the biggest such exercise India has ever witnessed. A ground report:

UTTAR PRADESH

Uttar Pradesh is gearing to bring back another 1.5 million workers. Chief minister, Yogi Adityanath, spoke with the other CMs and asked for their help in the return of migrants to UP. The state has appointed nodal officers to coordinate with other states and district administrations to enable the return of migrants and to take care of them at geo-tagged shelter homes. A revenue department officer said capacity has been created to house “6 lakh person against the expected 10 to 15 lakh migrants”. Shiv Mangal, a migrant worker, living at a quarantine camp at Unnao said: “We came all the way to be in our homes, and not to live here.” He, along with 19 others cam on their own from Telangana on April 19.

MAHARASHTRA

Maharashtra has close to a million workers from other states. Of these, around 5.7 lakh labourers are living in 4600-odd shelter homes in various districts. State officials said 1.7 lakh of them want to return. The state government on Thursday issued a notification allowing transportation of the stranded workers, pilgrims, and students after taking permission from district authorities. Respective states will have to arrange for vehicles to take back workers. Nitin Kareer, additional chief secretary said, “We are not making any arrangements for the logistics.” “In Nashik, Palghar and Jalgaon, we received complaints of the workers in shelters either boycotting food or threatening drastic steps if they are not allowed to go to their states,” an official from the relief and rehabilitation department said.

MADHYA PRADESH

Additional chief secretary, ICP Keshri, said, “7000 more labourers from Rajasthan, 3000 from UP and 1600 from Goa are expected to reach on Thursday” Around 30,000 more have enrolled, he said. Naval Adivasi from Sheopur district, who was brought back from Rajasthan along with 50 other labourers said, “The state has made good arrangements here.” There were reports of a few protests from Gwalior-Bhind area.

CHHATTISGARH, ODISHA

Chhattisgarh’s chief secretary, RP Mandal, on Thursday asked collectors to update the figure of migrant labourers of their respective districts, who are stranded in other states and made the Chief Executive Officer of the zila panchayats in rural areas and the municipal commissioner and chief municipal officer in urban areas as nodal officers to coordinate with other states. “Till now, about 11 lakh migrant labourers are found stranded in other states,” said a senior IAS officer, requesting anonymity.

In Odisha, the officials said arrangements would soon be announced for about 7 lakh workers stranded in other states.

PUNJAB, HARYANA

Punjab has appointed a state nodal officer to coordinate the movement of migrants from Punjab to other states and vice versa. “An online registration system is also being started today on COVA app (a central app for all Covid-19 related information) to register migrant workers who are currently here and want to go back to their home states as well as Punjabis who are stranded in other states,” additional chief secretary, home, Satish Chandra, said.

Haryana has over two million workers from other states and officials said a team has been set up to coordinate with other states. Most of these workers are in National Capital Region towns of Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat and Rohtak, officials said.

RAJASTHAN

The Rajasthan government has appointed 19 IAS/IPS officers to coordinate with governments of 14 states, district authorities and other agencies.

BIHAR, JHARKHAND

deputy CM, Sushil Kumar Modi, said bringing them back in buses would take several months and the journey for workers would be tiresome, in addition to the huge expenditure involved. Additional chief secretary, Amir Subhani, said the government will receive all the migrants returning to Bihar on its borders. “It is not written in the guidelines Bihar has to send buses,” he said

The Jharkhand government has set up a team of 15 officers to coordinate with other states to bring back stranded workers.

WEST BENGAL

CM, Mamata Banerjee, said the state was working on the protocol for bringing back workers. The district administration has been asked to prepare the list of workers stranded. 711 camps have already been set up.