Nitish Kumar orders release of additional Rs 50 cr for helping stranded migrants

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday ordered release of an additional Rs 50 crore from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund for providing assistance to natives stranded in other states due to the nationwide lockdown prompted by coronavirus.

Reaching out to the people who could make to homes due to curbs imposed across the country on March 24 last to break the chain of virus transmission, the Bihar government has been supporting the needy by teansfering a special assistance of Rs 1000 each in their bank accounts and also running relief centres in different parts of the country where people are given shelter, food and ration.

Earlier on March 26, 2020, the chief minister had released a sum of Rs 100 crore from the chief minister's relief fund for catering to the needs of the distressed migrants hold up outside.

The amount would be utilized by the disaster management department for the purpose, an official release said.

Lakhs of grounded citizens have been provided help in at least 47 state-funded relief centres operating in far-off places, including Delhi, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Sikkim.

Kumar held a review meeting through video-conferencing with Divisional Commissioners, Inspector Generals of Police and Deputy Inspector Generals of Police to take stock of measures taken to contain the spread of Coronavirus in the state.

The officials apprised the CM in detail about strictly enforcing lockdown, intense checking at inter-state borders, sealing of Indo-Nepal borders, maintenance of social distancing in markets besides monitoring those living in quarantine centres, the release said.

We all are collectively working to fight against coronavirus. Everyone is playing an important role in it. Divisional Commissioners should ensure coordination with districts under their jurisdiction, Kumar said.

People must practice social distancing for which they (officials) need to make the people aware, the CM said and gave a direction to publicise about social distancing with the help of mike.

Intense checking of vehicles should be carried out at (inter-state) borders, Kumar asserted.

Intense screening and testing of people coming from outside (other states) should be ensured so that not a single suspected COVID-19 patient is left unidentified, he said.

He again appealed to the people having even a little apprehension of having been infected by COVID-19 to visit testing centre in order to ensure safety and security of their family members and others living in their surrounding.

Employment opportunities should be created in rural areas, Kumar said adding that any individual willing to work be issued passes for the purpose from an official nominated by the District Magistrate.

Chief Secretary Deepak Kumar, Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey, CMs Principal Secretary Chanchal Kumar and other senior officials of CM secretariat were present during the meeting at CMs official bungalow 1, Aney Marg.