According to official data released on Saturday, a total 1,25,989 people are housed in 5,241 shelters across the state. Police have been deployed to maintain law and order at several shelters, officials said. (Representational Image)
The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday announced that migrant labourers staying in shelters across the state will be allowed to travel to their home districts within the state if they have completed their 14-day quarantine, and have tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
However, migrants from outside the state will have to stay at the shelters until further orders. The largest numbers of migrants from outside the state belong to Bihar and Nepal.
According to official data released on Saturday, a total 1,25,989 people are housed in 5,241 shelters across the state. Police have been deployed to maintain law and order at several shelters, officials said.
“In every district, from the state government and district administration, there are quarantine facilities. Now, in a graded manner, DMs have been directed. (that) if there are any people at such facilities who are locals in the same district, arrangements will be made for them to reach home after testing, and (they will have to) stay in home quarantine, which will be monitored.,” Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Kumar Awasthi said.
“If there are people from other districts of the state at these facilities, then arrangements should be made for their travel in an organised and phased manner. But those from other states will have to keep staying,” he added.
Also, Awasthi said, “Those who have been in the shelters for fewer than 14 days will not be allowed to leave before they complete the protocol.”
Besides Bihar and Nepal, there are people from Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra at the shelters.
About the migrants from outside UP, Awasthi told The Indian Express: “We are reassessing the number of people from other states and a decision will be take soon. Till then, they will stay at the shelters they are currently at.”
The district magistrates of four districts told The Indian Express that arrangements were in place for people from other states to stay on for longer at the shelters.
In Gonda, where 396 people have been housed in nine shelters, the district administration feels that since construction work is likely to be allowed soon, most of these labourers would get work, and would not mind staying on.
“Around 50 per cent of the people staying in shelters in Gonda are from other states, such as Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh. These are mostly people who are involved in construction work. If the government restarts construction work on big projects, then they will get their jobs back, and would not want to go back,” Gonda DM Nitin Bansal said.
“I have personally met people at the shelters and feel that even if they have to stay a bit longer, there should not be any issue,” Bansal added.
“As far as people of other districts within the state are concerned, they will be sent home after their 14-day quarantine is complete and after they are tested,” he said.
Bahraich DM Shambhu Kumar said the district administration would wait for orders from the state government on the arrangements for travel of those who are allowed to leave. Around 300 people are staying at eight shelters in the dictrict.
“Whatever the state government orders, we will follow. We are waiting for the orders regarding the lockdown,” Kumar said. “We already have all security arrangements along with food and everything else. I have done inspections myself, and found that there is no shortage of anything,” the DM said.
Bahraich superintendent of police Vipin Kumar Mishra said, “There is 24-hour police deployment at each of these shelters. We will counsel them in case of any discontentment. Things are in the pipeline, but we need to wait for the government’s orders.”
Pulkit Khare, the district magistrate of Hardoi, said arrangements had been made for the people who have been allowed to travel to other districts in the state.
“Yesterday, some people from Unnao were sent to their home district in a police vehicle. We will ensure that people who are from other districts reach their homes in official vehicles since transport is not available at the moment,” Khare said.
A total 2,539 people have been lodged in 24 shelters in Hardoi. “We have police and the Home Guard posted at each shelter,” the DM said.
In Kanpur, where around 6,000 people are kept at 550 shelters, the district administration is ready to send people to other districts.
“We are waiting for orders from the state government. We have already made preparations to ferry people to other districts. As soon as the government orders, we will start sending people to their home districts,” Kanpur DM Brahm Dev Tewari said.
The majority of the people at the shelters in Kanpur belong to the district, Tewari said.