10 May, 2020
All the people of the Himachal Pradesh stranded in various parts of the country willing to come back to the State would be thoroughly medically examined and would have to stay under institutional quarantine before they could go to their native place. This was stated by the Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing the meeting of Nodal Officers appointed by the State Government to coordinate with other State Governments to facilitate movement of stranded Himachalis in different parts of the country and other stranded persons inside the State.
Chief Minister said that the Government was concerned about the safety of the people of the State stranded in different parts of the country, but at the same time it was also committed for the safety of the people of the State.
He said that the State Government has decided that all the people coming to the State from other parts of the country would be quarantined before allowing them to go home. He said that all the Himachalis coming from Punjab, Maharashtra and from other red zones of the country would be tested for COVID-19.
Thakur asked the nodal officers to ensure that they keep a close liaison with the nodal officers of the States assigned to them, so that the matter of bringing back the stranded Himachalis could be taken with the respective state governments at the earliest. He said that priority would be given to the students for bringing them back to the State as they were the most vulnerable section.
Chief Minister said that as many as 52,763 people of the State stranded in different parts of the country have applied for the COVID e-Pass. He said that similarly about 63,044 people of different states of the country stranded in Himachal Pradesh want to leave the State for their native places.
He said that till date as many as 30,219 people of other States have already left the State. He said that it must be ensured that the people wishing to go back to other states should be provided all possible facilities to ensure their smooth return. He said that the workers must be persuaded to stay back as this would hamper the developmental projects in the State. He said that another special train would start from Bengaluru on 11th May to Una to facilitate movement of the people of Himachal Pradesh stranded in Bengaluru.
He said that the State Government was also contemplating to urge the Union Government to start similar trains from Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Bihar etc. to facilitate the people of Himachal Pradesh stranded there.
Chief Minister said that adequate arrangement would be made at the railway station, Una for ensuring proper social distancing. He said that proper arrangements of masks, sanitizers and food packages would be made there. He said that separate district wise counters would be established there to facilitate the people.
