Jammu and Kashmir government today said it will be arranging train service for people hailing from the state and stranded in far off places. All those who have registered with the nodal officers of the government will be facilitated to return, J&K government spokesman Rohit Kansal said.
He added that Jammu and Kashmir will test all returnees for the Covid-19 and there would be no exception. “That is the only way we can stamp out the virus,” he said.
The return of stranded people to Jammu and Kashmir have picked up pace with 2,800 people arriving on Thursday and the first flight from Bangladesh with 160 medical students returning on Friday, Kansal said.
“Over 3000 students, labourers, others from Punjab, HP, Chandigarh, Haryana are expected today. The total number of returnees is now over 33,000," he said.
Early Friday morning the government said it has issued an SOP on April 30, 2020 after the announcement made by the MHA on April 29 allowing movement of stranded persons with certain conditions.
“Government of J&K has collected details of stranded persons who wish to return to J&K by providing web links for registration. Arrangements are being made for their arrival in an orderly manner while adhering to the norms of social distancing and undertaking testing so as to ensure that timely action is taken to prevent any spread of Covid-19 in the UT of J&K,” an order issued by J&K Home Department said.
“During this period, migrant workers, students and stranded persons from the States of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have already returned to J&K. The stranded persons in the States/UTs of Haryana, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Delhi have been permitted to return, in a regulated manner, with effect from May 7, 2020, and this process will continue for a week. Simultaneously, train services are being arranged for stranded persons of J&K, particularly from far off places,” the order further said.
The Government has decided to bear the cost of tickets; the returnees will not need to make any payments for their return journey by train.
It said the trains will start arriving shortly and necessary coordination with the sending states and the Railway authorities is ongoing. It also directed that no one should move in a hurry without passes issued by the J&K government; otherwise, they will be quarantined for 21 days in Kathua.
