Arunachal Pradesh Chief MinisterPema Khandu on Friday said the government has appointed nodal officers who will chalk out a detailed plan for bringing back people of the state, who have been stranded outside because of the lockdown.He also asked officials and lawmakers to visit quarantine centres and check if they are ready to take in the people who would be brought back.In the first phase, people stranded in other northeastern states will be brought home in batches, Khandu said.Thereafter, stranded citizens would be brought back in a phased manner from other states, starting with those in green zones, the chief minister said.Home Commissioner Kaling Tayeng will oversee the entire process as the state's chief nodal officer.The ban on issuance of Protected Area Permits and Inner Line Permits will continue to be in force, Khandu said.People who are not residents of Arunachal Pradesh need these permits to enter the state.In a video conference with ministers, MLAs, and senior government officials, Khandu directed deputy commissioners and legislators, particularly of the districts bordering Assam, to visit quarantine facilities near the entry points to check if they are equipped as per protocol."Once these quarantine facilities start to house incoming Arunachalees, there should not be any complaints about lack of facilities like water supply, electricity, toilets, etc," he said and suggested formation of local committees to monitor and oversee all such quarantine facilities.Arunachal Pradesh has 25 entry points with check-gates along the border with Assam. Of these, only 12 are functional at the moment as a precautionary measure since the lockdown.Khandu informed the legislators that all funds that the state receives under North East Special Infrastructure Development (NESID) and North East Council (NEC) schemes will be used only for developing the state's health infrastructure."Till last month, we did not have a single ventilator kit or an ICU. This exposes the sorry state of affairs on our part. It must change," he asserted.The government would initiate rationalization in transfer and posting of doctors, Khandu said and urged legislators, officers and others not to interfere in the process or seek favours.The chief minister assured all that there was enough stock of essential commodities in the state to last for at least three months.
