The process to send home West
Bengal labourers stranded in various districts due to the lockdown would start this week after a review meeting on the present COVID-19 situation, Labour Minister Purnendu Basu said on Monday.
The state government had last week said it would allow such labourer to return to their respective districts on condition that they would be in quarantine at home for 14 days.
"A review of the coronavirus situation will be conducted very soon. During the meeting, we shall assess the ground-level situation in all the districts, and a separate roadmap would be created for areas that have been declared micro-spots. Then, we would start the process of sending home these labourers," Basu said.
According to state government sources, thousands of labourers had left their homes in February for harvesting activities and were stranded due to the sudden nationwide lockdown.
"Special police vans would be arranged to ferry the labourers back to their native districts. Once they reach, medical screening would be conducted and if required, they would be taken to government quarantine centres or advised home quarantine for two weeks," an official said.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier said her government will provide assistance to labourers from West Bengal who are stuck in other states.
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