Early Times REport
Jammu, May 20: Jammu and Kashmir government announced on Wednesday that it has so far brought back 78,902 residents of J&K to their hometowns, stranded outside UT due to the lockdown imposed in the wake of global pandemic, through COVID special trains, buses and flights.
The official spokesman here said that the first train carrying 1,184 outbound migrant workers has left from Katra for Chattrapur, MP. Besides the government had so far facilitated the movement of 16,399 outstation people stranded at Lakhanpur.
As per the detailed break up of the figures, the government has evacuated 61,354 residents of J&K, stranded in various other states and UTs, through Lakhanpur besides bringing back 17,047 people through special trains.
Besides 501 passengers including students have been brought back through special flights, so far. 1,862 stranded passengers entered through Lakhanpur between May 19 and May 20, while 961 passengers reached here on Wednesday in the 7th COVID special AC train that arrived at the Jammu railway station. Some 1,861 passengers reached Udhampur railway station from Bengluru, Habibganj and Bholapur in 3 special trains.
So far, seven trains have reached Jammu carrying 6,469 stranded resident belonging to different districts, while 10,578 passengers have reached Udhampur in 13 special trains, so far. Special trains carrying about 1,100 passengers from Ahmadabad is expected to reach Udhampur by this evening.
As per the official communiqué, of the 61,354 returnees evacuated through Lakhanpur till May 20 (morning) included 13,694 people from Punjab; 19,775 from Himachal Pardesh, 21 from Andhra Pardesh, 6,051 from Delhi, 1,297 from Gujrat, 2,403 from Rajasthan, 3,588 from Haryana, 110 from Chattisgarh, 3,117 from Uttarakhand, 666 from Maharashtra, 3,996 from Uttar Pradesh, 42 from Odisha, 244 from Assam and 917 from Madhya Pradesh, 88 from Dehradun, 946 from Chandigarh, 666 from Telengana, 42 from Karnataka, 4 from Tamilnadu, 52 from Chennai, 239 from Bihar, 120 from West Bengal, 26 from Jharkhand, 3 from Nepal and 3,247 from other states and UTs.
The Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua and Srinagar district administrations under the guidance of their Deputy Commissioners have evolved a multi-pronged strategy to ensure that all requisite arrangements and facilities are in place for an organised and convenient boarding and de-boarding of returnees at the railway stations and airport and their journey towards their home districts.
The administration is ensuring that the samples of all the returnees is being taken at the kiosks established at the stations. An elaborate transport system has been established to take the passengers to their native districts for adminstrative quarantine amidst strict adherence to the guidelines issued by MHA and MoFHW regarding COVID-19. Elaborate arrangements have been put in place for the reception and departure of these passengers to their homes in different districts of J&K.
It is being ensured that during the boarding and de-boarding process the passengers observe social distancing and wear masks. Besides, complete protection of the administrative staff and others on duty is also being ensured. |
