Lockdown: Seal Borders To Stop Exodus Of Migrant Workers, Centre Tells States

New Delhi: The Centre on Sunday asked all state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop the movement of migrant workers during the countrywide lockdown against coronavirus, officials said.

During a video conference with Chief Secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues. Only movement of goods should be allowed, they added.

“There has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed,” a government official said.

District Magistrates and SPs should be made personally responsible for implementation of these directions, the official said.

Adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers should be made at the place of their work, the official said.