Preparing Standard Operating Procedure on Movement of Migrants amid Lockdown: Delhi Police

The Delhi Police and city government are working on preparing a standard operating procedure on the movement of migrant labourers and other stranded people during the coronavirus-forced lockdown in pursuance of the Union Home Ministry guidelines on the matter, officials said on Thursday.

The MHA, in an order issued on Wednesday, allowed migrant workers, tourists, students and other people, who are stranded in different parts of the country, to move to their respective destinations with certain conditions.

The order stated that buses shall be used for transport of such groups of stranded people and these vehicles will be sanitised and will have to follow safe social distancing norms in seating.

"The MHA has issued guidelines regarding the movement of migrant labourers and other people stranded at different places, including students, tourists and pilgrims. The government and Delhi Police are finalising its modalities and are working on the standard operating procedure (SOP)," Delhi Police's Public Relation Officer Mandeep Singh Randhawa said.

"We are in regular touch with officials of other states and talking to them. According to the MHA guidelines, people will have to register themselves so that their movements till their homes can be regulated," he said.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the Delhi government was in touch with other states and they would come out with a proper plan in the next one-two days.

Taking to Twitter, Kejriwal asked migrant workers to stay indoors and follow the lockdown till the time the plan is executed.

The Delhi police PRO on Thursday said, "Till the time the SOP is finalised, we request stranded people not to pay attention towards any social media post. The Delhi Police is regulating social media and will take strict actions against those who spread rumours."

On March 28, thousands of migrant workers thronged Anand Vihar bus terminus on the Delhi-UP border to go back to their villages.

Similarly on April 14, the last day of the first phase of the lockdown, several hundred migrants had assembled on the west side of Bandra suburban station demanding trains to take them to their native places, just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown till May 3.

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