After UP, MP, Himachal on 'Kota' route, to send 9 buses for 105 students

Shimla: Succumbing to intense public pressures, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has decided to go UP and Madhya Pradesh way to bring back students, struck at Kota in Rajasthan by sending its buses.

Insiders say the government will send its fully sensitized buses from Himachal Pradesh Road Transport (HRTC) to facilitate the safe return of the students to their parents.

Chief Minister said, "We are in touch with people at Kota. Some way-out will be devised to help stranded students."

It has been learned that nine buses are being readied to move to Kota for bringing 105 students struck their due to lockdown since March 24.

"The modalities are being worked out. We will start the exercise on Friday," said a senior official.

Entire opposition and a section of the BJP leadership is in favour of facilitating the return of the students stuck in different places. Congress has submitted a memorandum to Governor Bandaru Dattatreya seeking directions to the government to bring Himachalis back by sending buses on the lines of UP and MP.Even Uttrakhand had helped Gujarat pilgrims to return, alleges leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.

In fact, lots of students, aged persons and those having done to Chandigarh for medical emergencies are also demanding permissions to return home.

The issue got flared –up on Thursday when, media highlighted how Superintendent of police (Kinnaur) Sanju Ram Rana sent a private vehicle and brought back his son and daughter from Delhi in breach of the norms.

Director General of Police S R Mardi said,"The matter is being looked into and the officer has been asked the explain his position."

At a Doordarshan programme this afternoon Mardi was questioned by a caller as to how come you can apply two norms for a retired IAS officer Deepak Sanan let off after caught for violating the lockdown norms and some youths at Kumarsain were put behind the bars.

Similarly, Chief Minister had also found it tough to defend himself when media persons questioned how come two BJP MPs — Ram Swaroop Sharma (Mandi ) and Krishan Kapoor (Kangra) drove home without any check when thousands of Himachalis, poor and helpless, were struggling hard to return, and not allowed.

The government meanwhile finalised a three-pronged strategy to tackle the menace of coronavirus effectively as one more case corona positive case was tested on Thursday.

"He also happens to be a person linked to Tablighi Jamaat. Earlier he was tested negative and was at a quarantine centre. But, he has become positive" said Additional Chief Secretary (Health) R D Dhiman.

The total number of cases now again has risen to 40, and those in the hospital are 17.

Now strategy of the government, said Chief Minister will be to increase the capacity of investigation of samples, institutions where treatment of COVID-19 of people could be done.

"Asymptotic people will be kept in COVID care centres, Moderate symptomatic people would be kept in COVID Health Centres and severe symptomatic will be kept in COVID Hospitals," said Thakur

He directed the officers to prepare an effective plan regarding the homecoming of the residents of the State from other parts of the country.