Stop Escape Of Migrant Workers From Quarantine Centres, Odisha Speaker Tells Ganjam Collector

Bhubaneswar: Expressing grave concern over migrant workers escaping from village quarantine centres in Ganjam district, Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro on Sunday directed the district collector to keep a close watch on each such centre.

Briefing mediapersons after a video conference with district collector Vijay Amruta Kulange, the Speaker informed that about 30,000 migrant workers are staying in 2983 quarantine centres in the district after returning from other states. But as most of the quarantine centres are located in villages, some workers have managed to escape.

“I have directed the collector to beef up security in all quarantine centres to ensure that no such incident is repeated. I have also asked the collector to convert buildings of government or private organisations outside the village to accommodate migrant workers,” he added.

Referring to the preventive measures the district administration has undertaken to contain the spread of COVID-19, he said that prohibitory order under section 144 has been clamped around all quarantine centres to stop the entry of migrant workers’ relatives.

Stating that the return of migrant workers has posed a bigger threat to villages compared to urban areas, Patro said the returnees have been told to strictly adhere to lockdown guidelines as otherwise coronavirus positive cases will shoot up further in the next two months.

The Speaker has proposed to the state government that another COVID hospital be set up in Ganjam district.