First batch of 217 migrant workers return to Odisha from

The first batch of 217 migrant workers, stranded in Gujarat's Surat, returned to Odisha after undertaking a 60-hour-long journey, officials said on Thursday.

Four buses carrying the migrant workers, who hail from the Ganjam district, reached late on Wednesday night and were immediately quarantined at a facility, said collector Vijay Amruta Kulange.

The primary health screening of all the returnees have been done, he said.

We request all the residents of Ganjam to refrain from visiting these quarantine centres. Strict action will be initiated in case of any violation, Kulange said.

Around two lakh people from the district, stranded in different parts of the country due to the nationwide lockdown, have registered their names on the government portal to return home, he said

We have appealed to the people not to panic. The government has made all arrangements for safety of the returnees. All returnees will be quarantined for two weeks, the collector said.

 

The first batch of returnees are lodged in quarantine centres at Seragad and Dharakot, he said, adding that arrangement has been made for the collection of their swab samples for COVID-19 testing.

They cannot meet their family members during the stay in the quarantine centres, Kulange said.

The migrant workers paid for their journey, while the state government facilitated their travel.

Official sources said four more buses carrying migrant workers have already left Surat and are likely to reach the state by Friday morning. Most of them hail from the Ganjam district, while some are from Bhadrak, Kenbdrapara, Khurda and Jagatsinghpur districts.

We have got information that some people from Bhadrak are returning from Surat. As none of them have registered so far, they and their family members are requested to do the needful, said Bhadrak collector Gyan Das.

The Prabasi Odia Parivar Trust (POPT) in Surat has arranged for 10 more buses to help the stranded workers to return home.

Of the estimated 5 lakh Odias living in Surat, at least 3.5 lakh people have registered on the government portal, an official said.

Official sources said 116 students stranded in Kota in Rajasthan also started their journey to Odisha on Wednesday night.

The students are returning in four buses and maintaining social distancing, they said.

The buses will be travelling through Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, and are likely to take 30 hours to reach Rourkela.

The state government has allowed 975 students to return to Odisha following their appeal.

The rest of the students will leave Kota in batches and arrangements have been made for their safe return, an official said.