SAMPLES TAKEN AFTER PROTEST BY QUARANTINED LABOURERS IN FARIDKOT

FARIDKOT : Around 60 labourers, who have been kept at Abbnoor Polytechnic College, a quarantine centre on Ferozepur road here, on Saturday blocked the road in protest against the district administration for not collecting their samples for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) tests even after three days.

These labourers had returned to Faridkot district from different parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan on Wednesday.

The labourers, who operated combine harvesters, were stuck in other states for over a month due the lockdown.

However, the labourers lifted the protest and returned inside the quarantine centre after officials assured them that their samples will be collected promptly.

A health department team was rushed to the quarantine centre to collect the swab samples of the workers.

The labourers also alleged that there are poor arrangements at the quarantine centre.

Deputy commissioner Kumar Saurabh Raj said health officials had started collecting samples of these labourers and the process will be completed by the evening.

“More than 1,000 persons have returned to the district in a week and the samples of Nanded-returnees were collected first. We have provided all facilities to them,” he added.

Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Paramdeep Singh said, “The district administration is providing three meals to the labourers, besides filtered water and tea.

The centres are being cleaned regularly and washrooms are clean.”

60 WORKERS, WHO HAD RETURNED TO FARIDKOT FROM OTHER STATES THREE DAYS AGO, BLOCK ROAD IN PROTEST AGAINST DELAY IN TESTS