MUMBAI: Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, on Sunday, wrote a letter to states and union territories to provide welfare activities towards migrants currently housed in relief camps due to the nation-wide lockdown.
More than 14.3 lakh stranded migrant workers and other needy people are seeking relief in the 37,798 relief camps and shelters across the country.
Of the 37,798 camps, 34,000 relief camps are set up by states, while 3,900 are set up by NGOs. In addition to this, 26,225 food camps have been set up, in which food is being provided to over 1 crore people. Around 16.5 lakh workers are being provided food and relief by their employers and industries. '
'The supreme court has directed to ensure that trained counsellors and community group leaders belonging to all faiths visit the relief camps and shelter homes and deal with the consternation migrants might be going through.
The anxiety and fear of the migrants should be understood by the police and other authorities and they should deal with migrants in a humane manner,'' said Bhalla in his letter. He further reminded that the department of health and family welfare had also asked to take necessary steps. '
'Considering the unprecedented situation the country is facing and the need to implement the lockdown measures effectively, I would like to request that necessary action in this regard may be taken expeditiously and efficaciously at the ground level,'' noted Bhalla.
Meanwhile, an increase of 909 CoVID-19 cases has been noted in the country since yesterday. As many as 716 persons have been cured/discharged after recovery and total 273 deaths have been reported, as of today.
The government is also focusing on increasing the capacity of primary medical infrastructure, which includes dedicated hospitals, isolation beds, ICU beds, and quarantine facilities. Dedicated hospitals for the management of COVID-19 patients have increasingly been set up across the country.
