Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to bring back Odia migrant labourers stranded in Surat in Gujarat during the nationwide lockdown.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took the decision during a video conferencing with his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani on Sunday.
It was decided that for the safe return of the Odia migrant workers, a coordination committee comprising two senior officers each from Odisha and Gujarat will be formed.
While arrangements will be made to bring the Odia workers by special buses, the two state governments will take a decision to bring the remaining workers through other modes of transport after a review.
Apart from this, a request will be made to the Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh governments to waive the road tax for the buses transporting the Odia workers.
The Odisha government has made the registration mandatory for these migrant Odia workers who will be kept in government quarantine and provided with all facilities.
Among others, Union Petroleum and Chemicals and Steel minister Dharmendra Pradhan also participated in the video conferencing.