Rohtak sets up 43 shelter homes, can accommodate 14,500 people
A day after Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed all DCs to stop movement of migrant labourers across the state to contain the coronavirus spread, the Rohtak administration on Monday claimed to have set up 43 shelter homes with capacity to accommodate 14,500 people.
Rohtak deputy commissioner RS Verma said he has directed officials to provide better facilities to the migrant labourers in all shelter homes.
“The movement of migrant labourers has been restricted. Many social organisations have also extended their support in providing food and other facilities to the migrants and needy people,” he added.
Razban, a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Bareilly, said he was satisfied with the facilities provided at shelter homes. However, few women, who wished not to be named, said the provisions were not up to the mark.
“The administration should either provide us better facilities or drop us to our native villages in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar,” they urged.
Rohtak MP Arvind Sharma also convened a meeting and asked officials to take necessary steps to stop the spread of infection.
Rajya Sabha member Deepender Hooda, who had gone into self-isolation recently, has also formed district-wise teams across the state to provide essential commodities and other required help to migrant labourers and needy people.
While talking to Hindustan Times over phone, Hooda said he has been mobilising his team members to provide help to needy people in Haryana.
“I am personally monitoring the situation everyday. I have been receiving at least 300 requests daily on my personal phone number and Twitter handle,” he added.
Appreciating the government’s decision to set up relief camps for migrant labourers, he said the government should also ensure cleanliness of washrooms at shelter homes.
“The government can use private institutions belonging to Congress workers as shelter homes and hospitals. We are ready to provide good quality food to labourers, if needed. The government should make proper arrangements for migrant labourers so that wheat crop can be harvested and procurement process could start on time,” he added.
Similarly, the Hisar administration has set up 100 temporary shelter home, which can accommodate more than 8,000 people, a government spokesperson said.
Ambala administration, however, is accommodating such labourers in dharamshalas (inns) and community centres. More than 3,000 labourers who were walking towards their native places have been provided shelter at 19 such places in Ambala, superintendent of police Abhishek Jorwal said.
Ambala City MLA Aseem Goel also visited few shelter homes and assured migrants that every facility will be provided to them during their stay.
“I’ve asked them not to move anywhere because this will create a problem for them as well as their families. We’ve also asked the Punjab Police to assure that they don’t cross the border,” Goel said.
2,000 MIGRANT LABOURERS TAKE SHELTER IN KARNAL, YAMUNANAGAR, PANIPAT
Nearly 2,000 migrant labourers have taken shelter at relief homes in Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat in the past 24 hours.
As per the information, at least 1,500 of them have reached Yamunanagar district.
Yamunanagar DC Mukul Kumar said around 1,000 migrant labourers have already been taken to the shelter homes, while around 500 will be sent by the evening.
In Karnal, by the evening, around 400 migrant labourers were taken to the shelter homes by local police.
Karnal SP Surendra Singh Bhoria said, “As of now, around 400 migrant labourers have reached Karnal district.”
Similarly, in Panipat district, nearly 450 migrant labourers are camping at relief homes. Panipat district administration has set up 97 shelter homes.