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UP preps to evacuate lakh of migrants from Gujarat, U’khand and Rajasthan
The UP government has established quarantine centres across the state to house seven lakh migrants and the chief minister has directed officers to increase the centres’ capacity for 10 lakh.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday said it will launch a massive evacuation drive to bring back migrant workers from Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan in the next few days even as those from Madhya Pradesh have started to arrive.
Students of UP, enrolled in educational institutions or coaching centres in Delhi, Noida and Aligarh, who wish to return home will be transported by Uttar Pradesh roadways buses to their respective home districts.
Addressing a press conference, additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi said chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed senior officers to prepare a plan to evacuate migrant workers from Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan who have been stranded due to the lockdown.
The state government has received guidelines from the Centre on the transportation of migrants, he said.
The arrival of migrants from Madhya Pradesh started on Thursday. One hundred buses of Madhya Pradesh government are bringing 3,000 migrants to UP and in turn the UP government is sending migrants of MP in 40 UPSRTC buses.
The UP government plans to bring back 10 lakh migrants from various states, Awasthi said.
“The state government has already transported three lakh migrants from the Delhi border, over 12,000 migrants from Haryana and evacuated 10,500 students from Kota in Rajasthan and sent home 15,000 students from Prayagraj to various districts,” he said.
“The Chief Minister has expressed concern over the migrants wayfaring or riding bicycles to reach home in UP. He called upon the migrants to have patience and wait for a few days as the state government was committed to bring them back home. Those walking home might face problems as the border is sealed and police personnel have been directed not to permit entry of people from other states,” Awasthi said.
The migrants have to report to quarantine centres in the districts they are staying, get themselves registered and the officers managing the centres will prepare a list and conduct their medical tests.
The chief secretary and home department is in regular touch with officers of other states to bring back the migrants. Students of other states in UP will also be sent to their respective states, Awasthi said.
All migrants will be brought to UP after screening and medical tests.
The UP government has established quarantine centres across the state to house seven lakh migrants and the chief minister has directed officers to increase the centres’ capacity for 10 lakh.
The UP government is also collecting details of migrant workers -- name, address, mobile numbers, Aadhaar number etc -- to prepare a database of such workers who migrate to other states in search of employment, he said.
After completing 14 days in quarantine centres, the workers will be sent home and will have to undergo another 14-day home quarantine.
The district magistrates of all districts have been directed to hand over a food-kit to the migrants when they leave the centre for home after completing 14 days quarantine.
