‘Make your arrangements’: Telangana to states ready to bring people home

The Telangana government on Thursday wrote to various states, telling them to make their own arrangements for the return of migrant workers, tourists, students and other people stranded in the region on account of lockdown.

The issue was discussed at a meeting held by chief secretary Somesh Kumar late on Wednesday, following the Central government’s order allowing return of people stranded in different parts of the country.

The Telangana government nominated senior IAS officer Sandeep Kumar Sultania as nodal authority to oversee transportation of stranded migrant labourers and others to their native places, as per the protocol suggested by the Centre. He will be assisted by a team of officers.

According to an official release, the chief secretary said a letter would be written to his counterparts in all the states to provide details of persons from their respective states who are stranded in Telangana. These states should make their own arrangements for the shifting of stranded passengers to their destinations.

Somesh Kumar asked the stranded persons who wish to go home to get in touch with their native state for transport arrangement. “The government of Telangana will permit stranded persons to move to their native states,” he said.

He requested the chief secretaries of the other states to advise their nodal authorities to get in touch with Telangana nodal authority for facilitation of shifting of the stranded people.

“Our nodal authority will arrange for screening of the persons and issuance of passes to the asymptomatic persons for undertaking the journey,” he said.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh, has also begun a similar exercise to see the safe return of stranded people to their respective states.

State chief secretary Neelam Sawhney, who took part in the video conference with cabinet secretary Rajiv Gauba in the morning, discussed the issue with her senior officials and instructed that necessary measures be taken for bringing the Telugu workers stranded in other states back to the state.

State chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who constituted a Group of Ministers to oversee the Covid-19 situation in the state and take appropriate measures, asked them to ensure that necessary measures are taken for sending the stranded people to their destinations.

At the same time, the government would also take all measures for the safe return of migrant labourers and construction workers from Andhra Pradesh stranded in various states to their respective districts.

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