Odisha for mandatory COVID-19 test of migrant workers at places they are stranded

Bhubaneswar, Apr 23 () The Odisha government onThursday said it would press for mandatory COVID-19 testing ofmigrant workers at places where they are standard due to theongoing lockdown and desperate to return home immediatelyafter lifting of the restrictions.

Health Minister N K Das said he will take up thematter with the Centre as it would help the states in handlingthe COVID-19 situation.

I will raise the issue with Union Health MinisterHarsh Vardhan at the video conferencing scheduled to be heldon Friday, he said.

It will be easy for all the states to handle COVID-19situations if COVID-19 test is made mandatory for migrantworkers or people interested to return to their nativestates, Das told reporters.

The issue on migrant workers return to Odisha afterthe lockdown is lifted was discussed at the Group of Ministersmeeting chaired by Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari.

Stating that he had earlier drawn the attention of theUnion Health Minister to the need to conduct mandatory COVID-19 tests for the migrant workers from Odisha stranded in otherstates, Das said, I will again raise the issue.

The GOM anticipated that about 5 lakh people, mostlymigrant workers, are expected to return to Odisha after thelockdown is lifted.

"In view of the possible influx of stranded workers,we have kept the gram panchayat institutions ready to dealwith it, said Panchayati Raj Minister Pratap Jena.

The state government has set up a procedure forregistration and quarantine arrangement for the peoplestranded in other states who intend to come to Odisha afterthe lockdown ends. The state government has decided to startboth online and offline registration of people wanting toreturn to Odisha from Friday.

In the notification issued by the Revenue and DisasterManagement Department, Special Relief Commissioner P K Jenainformed the secretaries of Panchayati Raj and Housing andUrban Development about the procedure to be followed for thepurpose.

The notification said that all the returnees need tobe stamped with the date of their return and end of thequarantine period with indelible ink.

The Panchayati Raj Department will requisitionrequired quantity of indelible ink from Mysore, thenotification said.

It said all gram panchayats and urban local bodieswill have a registration facility for the people intending toreturn to Odisha after the lockdown.

The notification also said that where persons areallowed home quarantine, a proper sticker must be affixed onthe front of the house. Such persons must be closely monitoredto ensure that they adhere to the quarantine guidelines.

The Housing and Urban Development Department may makearrangements in coordination with hotels for quarantine ofpeople who wish to avail such facilities. The expenditure onsuch paid quarantine facilities shall be borne by the personconcerned, it said.

The expenditure on the provision of temporaryaccommodation, food, drinking water, sanitation and medicalcare for the people in quarantine camps shall be met out ofState Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), it said. AAM SKN SBNSOM SOM