Free buses for migrant workers travelling to railway stations
:After guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) on Friday announced that no ticket fares will be charged from migrant workers taking buses to city railway stations to travel to their home states.
Manoj Varade, a spokesperson for BEST said, “The Supreme Court on Thursday directed that no fare for travel either by trains or buses should be charged from migrant workers stranded across the country and they must be provided with food and water. Hence, BEST has decided to offer free service to migrants from Friday.”
Earlier, BEST was charging for dropping migrant workers at the railway stations. Meanwhile, BEST achieved 54.5% recovery rate on Friday, with 10 staffers getting discharged in a single day, said officials.
Data released by the undertaking on Friday states that of the 259 BEST staffers who have tested positive so far, including nine fresh cases reported on Friday, 140 have recovered of Covid-19 and have been discharged. So far, there have been eight deaths of BEST staffers due to the novel coronavirus.
“As compared to others [government undertakings], till date we have managed to control the spread of the virus among our staffers. We are the only public undertaking which has managed a recovery rate of over 50%. There were around eight fatalities, but we are working to reduce the spread,” said Dr Anil Kumar Singhal, chief medical officer, BEST.
About 80% of the staffers currently under treatment are now asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms. BEST administration is confident that many more patients will be discharged soon and the recovery rate will increase. However, three staffers were admitted in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 10 staffers, on oxygen beds, were in critical condition.
The state government has decided to provide a comprehensive personal accident cover of ₹50 lakh to all employees who are on active duty in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the Union ministry of health and family welfare has provided an insurance scheme for all healthcare workers across the country, the state scheme will cover others engaged in tackling the pandemic, from policemen and home guards to anganwadi and sanitation workers across state and district administration.
The state finance department on Friday issued an order announcing the insurance cover.
The order states that besides healthcare workers, other staffers have also been deputed in Covid-related duties.
“Therefore with a view to support such personnel in their active line of duty in fighting Covid-19 pandemic and to stand by their families in the event of their unfortunate loss of life, the government will provide comprehensive personal accident cover of ₹50 lakh to all employees, who are on active duty relating to survey, tracing, tracking, testing, prevention, testing, treatment, relief activities on account of Covid pandemic,” stated the order.
The modalities for the insurance are still being worked out.
OF THE 259 BEST STAFFERS WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE SO FAR, INCLUDING NINE FRESH CASES REPORTED ON FRIDAY, 140 HAVE RECOVERED FROM COVID-19 AND HAVE BEEN DISCHARGED