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P’kula admn turns govt schools into shelters for migrants
The temporary shelter sites have been set up in various government schools in Sector 17, 19, 20, Mansa Devi Complex, Saketri, Ramgarh, Barwala, Raipur Rani and Kalka.
After sealing district borders, the Panchkula administration has turned the 12 government schools into temporary shelter homes for migrant workers, who were returning to their native villages, mostly in Uttar Pradesh, in hordes having lost their livelihood amid the lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Facilities, including meals and primary health check-ups, are being provided to the migrants at the shelter homes.
Deputy commissioner (DC) Mukesh Kumar Ahuja said the matter was taken up with the police and the operation started on Sunday evening.
Ahuja said no movement was allowed amid the lockdown and most of these people were brought to the temporary shelter homes.
The temporary shelter sites have been set up in various government schools, including those in Sector 17, 19, 20, Mansa Devi Complex, Saketri, Ramgarh, Barwala, Raipur Rani and Kalka.
The principals of the schools have been appointed as the in-charges of the shelter homes.
Arrangements to accommodate around 1,000 persons have been made and a total of 250 people are currently availing the facilities.
“Instructions have been given to appoint nodal officers in these shelter sites. During the lockdown, if any person is found wandering in the border area, then he or she will be kept in the shelter sites,” said the DC.
At the Government Primary School in Sector 20, around 60 persons are putting up.
Om Dev, a native of Shahjahanpur in UP, who worked at a plastic bottle factory in Parwanoo, said, “Not having any money to survive, we were returning to our villages on foot. The teams picked us at the Barwala Highway and brought us here. Here, we are being provided with meals and shelter. I wish everything comes back to normal soon.”
The arrangement for meal and stay has been made by the Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board.
Ahuja said the district revenue officer has been appointed as the nodal officer at the district-level for providing food and other items in the temporary shelter and relief camps.
The official will also keep a tab on the distribution and collection process of dry ration during the lockdown and will submit a detailed report to the DC every day.
