The government, fulfilling its commitment towards providing succour to J&K residents stranded outside UT due to lock-down imposed in the wake of global pandemic, has transported over 74218 residents of J&K back to their hometowns through COVID special trains, buses and flights.
As per the detailed break up about the figures, the government has evacuated 59492 residents of J&K, stranded in various other states and UTs, through Lakhanpur besides bringing back home about 14225 people through special trains at Jammu and Udhampur railway stations. Besides 501 passengers including students have been brought back through special flights, so far.
Additionally, 1844 stranded passengers have entered through Lakhanpur from May 18 to May 19 morning while 890 passengers have reached today in the 6th COVID special train at Jammu besides about 510 passengers have reached Udhampr railway station from Moradabad in the 10th train. So far, six trains have reached Jammu with a total of 5508 stranded passengers belonging to different districts while 8717 passengers have reached Udhampur in 10 special trains, so far. Besides, two trains carrying about 1400 passengers from Bhopal and Bengluru are expected to reach Udhampur by this evening.
Pertinently, the Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua and Srinagar district administrations under the guidance of their Deputy Commissioners have evolved a multi-pronged strategy to ensure that all requisite arrangements and facilities are in place for an organised and convenient boarding and de-boarding of returnees at the Railway stations and airport and their journey towards their home districts. The administration is ensuring 100 per cent sampling of returnees being done at the kiosks established at the stations.
Besides, an elaborate transport system has been established to take the passengers to their native districts for adminstrative quarantine amidst strict adherence to the guidelines issued by MHA and MoFHW regarding COVID-19. Elaborate arrangements have been put in place for reception and departure of these passengers to their homes in different districts of J&K. It is being ensured that during the boarding and de-boarding process the passengers observe social distancing and wear masks. Besides, complete protection of the administrative staff and others on duty is being ensured.
Principal Secretary PDD, Rohit Kansal; Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce, Manoj Kumar Dwivedi and Chief Electoral Officer, Hirdesh Kumar, who are the Nodal Officers for management of return of stranded people at Jammu, Udhampur and Kathua respectively, are personally monitoring the facilities being extended to the passengers during their de-boarding and movement to their home districts.
The returnees are being facilitated with proper guidance by the Duty Magistrates and concerned staff for online registration and other formalities in this regard. The returnees are also served refreshment and packed food.
As per the official communiqué, of 59492 returnees evacuated through Lakhanpur till May 19, 2020 (morning) included 13240 from Punjab; 19616 from Himachal Pardesh, 21 from Andhra Pardesh, 5600 from Delhi, 1290 from Gujrat, 2215 from Rajasthan, 3499 from Haryana, 110 from Chattisgarh, 3050 from Uttarakhand, 587 from Maharashtra, 3834 from Uttar Pradesh, 42 from Odhisa, 244 from Assam and 898 from Madhya Pradesh, 88 from Dehradun, 906 from Chandigarh, 635 from Telengana, 7 from Karnatka, 52 from Chennai, 236 from Bihar, 46 from West Bengal, 26 from Jharkhand, 3 from Nepal and 3247 from other states and UTs.
Likewise, a special train carrying J&K passengers stranded in Gujrat would start its journey from Kalupur railway station, Ahmedabad towards the UT at 5 pm today.
As per update by the Nodal Officer J&K government, the train service from Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujrat and Rajsthan is at its advance stage while for North East and states in East the service is in process.
Meanwhile, after Bangladesh, Jammu and Kashmir Government has sought evacuation of UT residents from Oman, Dubai and Iran under Vande Bharat Mission. In this regard, Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam has written to Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Union Foreign Secretary, seeking his personal intervention in prioritising the evacuation of these stranded residents of J&K.
Pertinently, the Jammu & Kashmir Government has launched a web portal —http://jkmonitoring.nic.in/ to facilitate its residents stranded in other parts of the country. The portal, developed by NIC, enables giving updates to those registered and also allows a person to check his application status.
All those who have registered online using the links opened by the J&K Government earlier NEED NOT register again. The web portal has already been updated with the details of the persons who have already registeredthroughwww.jktpo.in. All those who have registered can track the progress of their application.
In addition to the web portal, a dedicated 24X7 Covid-19 Helpline number – 0191-2466988 has been activated to assist the returnees and address their concerns.
In order to have regulated arrival to enable testing and to control the spread of COVID -19, the portal allows the government to issue authorization for travel to individuals/groups as per the capacity. On approval of movement by the competent authority, i.e. the Nodal Officer, a SMS goes to the stranded person informing him of such authorization. This authorization is the consent of the Government of J&K to receive that person. This authorization can be downloaded or it can be kept in the electronic form on the mobile and has to be shown to the concerned District Magistrate for issuance of movement pass as per the SOP of the MHA in case of road journey. (With inputs from KNS)