No One Should Be Deprived Of Food, Double NREGS Man Days For Migrants: Odisha CM To Officers

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday directed senior officers, who have been given charge of COVID management in different districts, to treat it as their principal responsibility and not additional work.

The Odisha government had appointed 22 senior IAS officer as observers to review preparedness in all districts for migrants intending to return to the state after the lockdown restrictions are lifted on May 3.

The CM discussed food security of migrant workers, ramping up testing capabilities and expanding MGNREGS amid the ongoing crisis arising out of COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown.

“Irrespective of ration card status, no one should be deprived of food,” he said.

Naveen stressed advance planning for the days ahead and asked them to ensure adequate facilities at the gram panchayats to accommodate the returnees.

The officials were told to make the rural job scheme target-oriented and double the man-days to 10 lakh daily in next one week.

With over 7.5 lakhs migrants expected to return to Odisha in the next few days, the CM suggested increasing the testing capacity to 15,000 and involving private testing labs approved by ICMR in the process.

He also asked the Forest Department to begin labour-based works and protect the livelihood of kendu leaf pluckers and binders.