'Ensure migrants don't travel on foot': CM Yogi Adityanath to officials

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday asked state officials to set up teams in every police station area to ensure that no migrant worker travels on foot or bike or in any unsafe mode in Uttar Pradesh.

The directive came amid rising cases of migrants losing their lives in road accidents while marching back home.

The CM said food and water should be provided to the migrants as soon as they enter the state and added that they should be medically screened. Arrangements for a vehicle to send them to their respective destinations should be made if they are found fit, the CM told officials.

Reviewing the lockdown situation, the CM said the state government was sensitive towards the problems of migrant labourers and all efforts must be made to ensure that workers reach their destination. He said no laxity in this regard would be tolerated.

He said DGPs of all states should be contacted and a request made to them to ensure that no migrant labourer travels by trucks or any other unsafe vehicle, failing which strict action would be taken against those ferrying them in unsafe vehicles.

CM Yogi said buses should be arranged to carry those reaching the state by train from different states to carry them home. In case the state buses are not available, private buses should be deployed, said the CM. He further directed that the drivers of the buses should also be given protective equipment.

The quarantine centres, the CM added, should be kept clean and use of liquor should not be allowed there. He added that lockdown rules should be strictly enforced and police patrolling should be intensified in the state.

The chief minister urged the hospitals to carry out emergency services and other medical operations, both in government and private hospitals, except the OPD services.

Masks, gloves, sanitisers and PPE kits should be made available to drivers, assistants in ambulances and those transporting Covid-19 positive patients, underlined the CM.

On restarting industries, Yogi said availability of labourers should be assessed for the same.

Loan melas should be organised to provide loan to the street vendors on the pattern of loan mela organized for MSMEs in accordance with the economic package announced by the Centre, said the CM.

The women self-help groups (SHGs) manufacturing masks were encouraged to sell masks. He said arrangements should be made to sell masks through street vendors.

(Inputs and image from hindustantimes.com)