Coronavirus lockdown update J&K: 8000 stranded residents of Jammu & Kashmir brought back from Punjab, Haryana.

Those who have been in institutional quarantine already in other states are allowed to be home quarantined in their native place, those returnees who haven’t will be sent to institutional quarantine.

Amidst the Covid 19 lockdown, the Jammu & Kashmir government has started evacuating its residents from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab. Sources claim this includes, 376 students stranded in Kota of which 135 belong to the Kashmir Valley.

Commissioner Secretary PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Ajeet K Sahu, who is also in charge of arrangements for supervising the movement of essential supplies and people at the border, Lakhanpur said “There are approximately 15000 stranded residents, mostly labourers, in neighbouring states and those in distress are being brought back.

We are facilitating the return of only those whom respective deputy commissioners say that they are vulnerable class and are in distress.”

The Union Territory government has urged Haryana and Punjab to help people in travelling till the border, Lakhanpur. From here the UT government will provide bus travel to their native places.

Those who been in institutional quarantine already in other states are allowed to be home quarantined in their native place, those returnees who haven’t will be sent to institutional quarantine.

This is usually the time where the UT residents return to their state for harvesting their crops and sowing new ones, many from all over India are wanting to return and so have been brought up by the opposition parties.

Senior Congress leader M K Bhardwaj and Kisan Sabha President Hari Chand Jalmeria alleged that a large number of people from Kathua, Sambha, Jammu and Udhampur districts, for work, are in different parts of the country are in distress, starving and have no shelter in those places. They have requested the Central and UT government to help them by making travel arrangments for them.

Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary Planning, Monitoring and Development has confirmed that UT government will issue an SoP in lieu of movement of labourers and students.

He has also appealed to those stranded to not move without the prior consent of UT administration.
Also being the spokesperson of the government, Kansal said “ All unregulated arrivals to be quarantined for 21 days at Lakhanpur. “ Union Minister of State in the PMO Dr Jitendra Singh tweeted “ Please have patience. All will be back soon.”

Till Wednesday evening over 8000 stranded residents have been brought back to the UT.