Bhubaneswar: Taking note of bus accidents involving Odia migrant workers from Surat, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday directed the authorities concerned to allow them to return to Odisha only by trains.
Presiding over a review meeting, the Chief Minister said the migrant workers are also facing difficulty in getting food during their long journey.
He directed the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to ensure that they are not allowed to travel by bus from Surat and make arrangements for their return only by train.
The Chief Minister further said that the SHGs will be provided extra financial assistance of Rs 2 per meal from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for distributing food to affected people during the lockdown period.
The Odisha government has also decided to increase loan assistance to farmers and the SHGs.
The testing capacity for COVID-19 will be increased to 15,000 a day, he said, adding that focus will be on normalising life and economic activities in Green Zones.