NEW DELHI: Around 28,000 temporary shelters and 19,500 food camps run by various state governments, NGOs, employers and the industry are taking care of the basic needs of migrant workers and the homeless during the ongoing lockdown, the home ministry said on Sunday.
At the daily briefing regarding measures initiated for containment of Covid-19 spread, joint secretary in home ministry Punya Salila Srivastava said 27,761 shelters were functional across various states and Union Territories, providing temporary accommodation to around 12.5 lakh migrant workers and homeless people. Of these, 23,924 camps were set up by the various state governments and the remaining 3,737 by different NGOs.
She further said that 19,460 food camps, of which 9,951 were run by various state governments and the other 9,509 by NGOs, were serving meals to 75 lakh poor and needy people. Also, 13.6 lakh workers were being provided food and shelter by their employers and industries.
“All these measures will help the lockdown achieve the purpose of containing the spread of coronavirus,” said Srivastava.
Regarding some issues being faced in supplies of essential goods, particularly those related to the pharmaceutical industry, the home ministry officer said the MHA had on April 3 explained the exemptions in detail and listed pharma units among those exempted.
However, in view of concerns faced by pharmaceutical units in some pockets, Himachal Pradesh to be precise, home secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to the Himachal chief secretary to help them out and prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) to facilitate inter-state movement of pharma unit workers while maintaining standard health protocol and social distancing.
At the daily briefing regarding measures initiated for containment of Covid-19 spread, joint secretary in home ministry Punya Salila Srivastava said 27,761 shelters were functional across various states and Union Territories, providing temporary accommodation to around 12.5 lakh migrant workers and homeless people. Of these, 23,924 camps were set up by the various state governments and the remaining 3,737 by different NGOs.
She further said that 19,460 food camps, of which 9,951 were run by various state governments and the other 9,509 by NGOs, were serving meals to 75 lakh poor and needy people. Also, 13.6 lakh workers were being provided food and shelter by their employers and industries.
“All these measures will help the lockdown achieve the purpose of containing the spread of coronavirus,” said Srivastava.
Regarding some issues being faced in supplies of essential goods, particularly those related to the pharmaceutical industry, the home ministry officer said the MHA had on April 3 explained the exemptions in detail and listed pharma units among those exempted.
However, in view of concerns faced by pharmaceutical units in some pockets, Himachal Pradesh to be precise, home secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to the Himachal chief secretary to help them out and prepare standard operating procedures (SOPs) to facilitate inter-state movement of pharma unit workers while maintaining standard health protocol and social distancing.
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