Give food, water to migrants trudging home: UP CM

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday directed officers of all 75 districts to give food and water to migrant labourers, many of whom are walking long distances

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday directed officers of all 75 districts to give food and water to migrant labourers, many of whom are walking long distances on their way home from neighbouring states amid the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown.

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Adityanath, who issued the directive at a review meeting, also said his government had constituted 11 committees to monitor the situation, adding that community kitchens had already been set up. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre’s relief package announced on Thursday, saying this was a unique model to fight the coronavirus.

The chief minister also lauded the volunteers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and BJP workers for helping people.

“We have started community kitchens to provide food to the needy. RSS volunteers and BJP workers are playing a commendable role in giving assistance to the people,” Adityanath said to a news agency.

Adityanath assured Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi and Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat that people of the respective states, who were returning home by road will be provided with food, water, medicine and security during their stay in UP, additional chief secretary (home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said at a press conference here later.

The chief minister also spoke to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and urged him to ensure the stay, food and security of migrants from UP in Haryana, the additional chief secretary said.

He also directed officers of all 75 districts to provide food and security to pilgrims from other states who were stuck in Varanasi and other religious spots in the state due to the lockdown, Awasthi added.

Meanwhile, giving details of the 11 committees, Adityanath said they included one that will make necessary financial arrangements to provide relief to people and study the impact of the lockdown on the Uttar Pradesh economy.

Another committee, headed by chief secretary, was asked to look into inter-state issues and coordinate with the union government on measures to contain the coronavirus, he said. This committee would also get in touch with stranded workers, he said.

A committee headed by the industrial development commissioner would ensure that the workers and other employees working with education institutions would get their full wages for the lockdown period.

Another committee has been set up to ensure supply of medical equipment and set up 11,000 new beds in hospitals.

The director general of police has been made in charge of a committee tasked with ensuring sanitization of state prisons.

Another committee headed by the principal secretary, animal husbandry, would ensure fodder in cow shelters, the chief minister said.

The other committees include those headed by the additional chief secretary, home, to make the lockdown successful and check black marketing.

Adityanath said, “Mukhya Mantri Helpline is giving information about the coronavirus infection (Covid-19) to 60,000 village pradhans. Information is also being collected from village pradhans about anybody returning from abroad and whether anyone has the infection in a village.”

‘Activate door-to- door delivery on war footing ‘

District administration officers were directed to crack down on hoarders and black marketeers, additional chief secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said on Thursday.

The officers were also told to activate door-to- door delivery of essential commodities on a war footing, he said.

The administration had already registered 18,570 mobile vans for delivery of the essential commodities, Awasthi said, adding that the number of mobile vans will be increased.

On Thursday, seven lakh litres milk was distributed and the government planned to distribute 15 lakh litres milk soon, he said.

Municipal corporations and local bodies were directed to launch regular sanitisation and cleanliness drives in urban and rural areas, he said.

Awasthi said the district administration officers were also directed to distribute cooked meals and food packets to poor people in the urban and rural areas.

The state government had made it the responsibility of gram pradhans to assist the poor people residing in their areas during the lockdown, he said.