Odisha cancels 3 trains from Surat after HC suggestion to allow only corona negative returnees

Bhubaneswar/Cuttack, May 7 (PTI) The government on Thursday cancelled three trains which were to bring stranded people from Surat in Gujarat after the Orissa High Court suggested that the state ensure that only those tested negative for COVID-19 are allowed to return. Three trains were scheduled to bring over 3,000 people from Surat to Odisha on Friday.

"However, we have asked the district magistrate of Surat to cancel the three Odisha bound trains tomorrow," a senior official said.

So far 13 trains including 12 from Surat have brought people to Odisha and four others are on their way to the state. Officials said at least 4,225 people, who were stranded in other states due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown, returned to Odisha on Thursday. So far, 39,765 people have returned to Odisha by train, bus or other vehicles.

Earlier, while adjudicating over a PIL, the Orissa High Court said, The state government should ensure that all the migrants who are in the queue to come to Odisha should be tested negative for COVID-19 before boarding the conveyance."

A division bench comprising Justice Kumari Sanju Panda and Justice K R Mohapatra, however, has not specified whether the state government would ensure the corona status of the returnees through laboratory tests or thermal screening tests. Social activist Narayan Chandra Jena had written a letter to the high court on May 1 seeking judicial intervention for ensuring that corona inflicted migrant workers are not allowed to enter the state by the government.

The letter was converted to a PIL on May 4 and the petitioner appeared in person to argue the case on Thursday. The bench adjourned the matter till the next sitting of the bench