Coronavirus: Odisha allows intra-state movement of stranded workers

With the opening of various economic activities including agriculture, the Odisha government on Saturday allowed intra-state movement of around 86,000 workers stranded in different districts due to the lockdown.

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The Revenue and Disaster Management Department in an order said that 86,000 stranded workers, of whom 16,000 are from within the state, may travel in an organised manner to reach their place of work.

The industries, agencies and labour contractors will be allowed to transport their labourers in dedicated and designated buses from the camps where they are staying to the workplace within Odisha, maintaining social distancing and other safety protocols, Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said.

In order to facilitate their travel, the industries, agencies, and contractors will report the details of such labourers, destinations and buses to the district collector concerned, through the district labour officer, he said.

Also Read: Coronavirus India update: State-wise total number of confirmed cases, deaths

The district collector will requisition buses for the purpose through Regional Transport Officers. The districts may make expenditure on this account from the Chief Ministers Relief Fund.

Since the buses in the state are off-road due to lockdown, monthly payment of road tax for the requisitioned buses will be waived, the order said.

As these stranded labourers have already completed the recommended quarantine period of 14 days in their respective camps, the recipient local authorities will not insist upon their further quarantine, it said.

The migrant workers were accommodated in 2,610 camps in various districts of the state.