Published 15:42 IST, May 11th 2020
150 migrants test positive within one week in Bihar; Nitish to raise concerns with PM Modi
150 migrants have tested positive in Bihar in the last 1 week, ever since the Shramik special trains started ferrying migrants stranded across the country
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The continuous flow of migrants from different parts of the country has become an area of concern for Bihar. So far 150 migrants have tested positive in Bihar in the last one week, ever since the Shramik special trains started ferrying migrants stranded across the country. Out of the 150 samples of the migrants who have tested positive 90% cases are asymptomatic, which is even more dangerous.
Ahead of the Chief Ministers meeting with PM Modi on Monday, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar held a high-level review meeting with the top officials of Bihar. Sources say that in the meeting with the PM, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is likely to raise these issues before PM:
1. In every district of Bihar, there should be testing facility because of continuous flow of migrant labours in every district. Many migrants have tested positive.
2. Testing of all migrant labours should be done phase-wise. So far 150 migrants who reached Bihar recently have tested positive. 110 samples out of the 150 are the samples of the migrants who arrived from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi have tested positive. Most of them were asymptomatic.
3. Because of the continuous flow of migrants Bihar may extend to decide lockdown.
4. In the next one week ensure movement of migrants stranded in different parts of the country.
5. Reforms in labour laws for the employment of labour
So far 150 Trains have reached Bihar from different parts of the country ferrying 1.5 lakh migrant passengers. Bihar govt has made arrangements of more than 3500 quarantine centres in various Blocks of Bihar. So far, Bihar has reported 714 positive cases out of which more than 350 people have recovered.
10 lakh more migrants expected
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has been raising the issue of maintaining social distance and made an appeal to all the migrants to stay wherever they are for some time but UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath violated the protocol of lockdown announced by PM Modi and ferried students from Kota and stranded migrants back to Uttar Pradesh in buses.
Earlier, Yogi Adityanath and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal dumped migrants from Bihar on the UP-Bihar border in the last week of March. Thereafter, the migrants from Bihar and the Opposition parties put pressure to bring back migrants stranded in Red zones. In the last 7 days so far 150 migrants have tested positive, who are mostly asymptomatic. It is a dangerous sign for Bihar, keeping in mind the fact that more than 10 lakh migrants are expected to arrive in Bihar from across the country.
15:22 IST, May 11th 2020