Days after Centre allowed the states to bring back their residents stranded in other states, Uttarakhand has initiated the process to bring its migrants with a slew of measures. On Friday, it held a detailed meeting chaired by state chief secretary with all the senior administrative and police officials.
The state government has identified about 76,000 migrants stranded in various states of the country who are willing to return. The figures were ascertained with the number of applications received on the state government web portal where the government sought had details of people willing to return, said officials.
Amit Negi, secretary of state disaster management department, who is looking after the state’s response to the pandemic, said, “We have started an application process in which about 76,000 migrants stranded in other states have registered themselves to come back.”
Negi said, “The major states where our migrants are stranded are Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana. We are making arrangements to bring them by state buses in coordination with the governments of respective states. From tomorrow, substantial work will start on this after a detailed meeting was held with all the district administrations and senior government officials of the state on Friday.”
The senior bureaucrat also informed that the government is in talks with other state administrations to “to bring the migrants in their state buses which would come to Uttarakhand to pick their own.”
{{/usCountry}}The senior bureaucrat also informed that the government is in talks with other state administrations to “to bring the migrants in their state buses which would come to Uttarakhand to pick their own.”
{{/usCountry}}“Similarly our buses will also be carrying the migrants of other states where they will be heading to bring ours. We are coordinating with the other state governments to make this process a smooth one,” said Negi adding “As of now, the government has no plans to bring the migrants through trains.”
Earlier on Thursday, the government had appointed two nodal officers including an IAS officer-, secretary transport Shailesh Bagauli and an IPS-- inspector general (State Disaster Response Force) Sanjay Gunjyal to look after the evacuation process of migrants from other states.
The administration has also started the online registration process for the migrants on a government website and a web-portal. The migrants stranded in other states can avail the arrangements made by government by registering themselves on the website named ‘smartcitydehradun.uk.gov.in’ and portal named ‘dsclservices.in/uttarakhand-migrantregistration.php’.
The registration can also be done by the migrants’ family members on their behalf while providing essential details like the addresses of the place where they are stranded and the place in Uttarakhand where they want to come. They also have to provide their Aadhaar number or details of any other government issued ID cards apart from the contact number of a person from their place in Uttarakhand.
Ashok Kumar, director general (law & order) Uttarakhand police, while informing about the evacuation process of migrants said, “Police is making a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the evacuation process. It will soon be revealed once made. Police will fully help the administration in the process.”