After the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday allowed the movement stranded migrant workers, tourists, students and other persons by special trains, the Ministry of Railways has said that these special trains will be run from point to point on the request of both the concerned State Governments.
The Ministry of Railways has also said that the passengers have to be screened by sending states and only those found asymptomatic will be allowed. The sending State Govts will have to bring passengers in batches to the designated railway station in sanitized buses following social distancing norms and other precautions, said the Ministry of Railways.
When the passangers reach their destinations, they will be received by the respective State Government, who would make all arrangements for their screening, quarantine if necessary, added the Ministry of Railways.
Earlier, the MHA issued a notice which said that the Ministry of Railways (MoR) will designate nodal officers for coordinating with States/UTs for the movement of the stranded migrant workers, tourists, students etc.
Meanwhile, the first special train from Kerala carrying 1,200 migrant workers to Bhubaneswar in Odisha will leave from the Aluva railway station on Friday evening, state Minister V S Sunil Kumar said.
The migrant workers from Odisha accommodated in camps in Ernakulam District since the COVID-19 lockdown will be brought to the station in state-run corporation buses as per the protocol announced by the government, he said.
Official sources said the train was scheduled for 6 pm departure.
