Ensure return of all stranded people, says Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar on Monday asked chief secretary Deepak Kumar and other senior officials to make necessary arrangements in next 7 days to bring back all those stranded natives of Bihar who are willing to come back to the state.
At a review meeting on Covid-19 and lockdown related issues with all departmental heads, district magistrates (DMs) and superintendents of police (SPs), the CM asked the officials to make necessary preparations for return of migrants in coordination with the railways and other states.
The departmental heads, DMs and SPs participated in the review meeting through videoconferencing from their respective locations.
The CM also asked the officials to make appropriate arrangements for sending back all those people who are stranded in Patna and other cities in the state. He said all families in rural areas would be provided soaps and four masks free of cost by the state government.
The CM asked the health officials to scale up testing to detect Covid-19 cases. “Only random tests of people returning from other states will not work. Ensure maximum possible testing of people,” the CM said. He also stressed on expediting construction work so that daily wagers can get job opportunities. “There is a need to give special attention on making construction materials, like sand, stone chips, cement and bricks available,” he said.
Mines and geology department’s principal secretary Harjot Kaur informed the CM that all stone mines in the state had been reopened on April 20. Similarly, the sand mining had also started on May 4, he said.
The CM asked the district magistrates to increase the number of block and panchayat level quarantine centres in proportionate to people arriving from the other states. He said the DMs should ensure availability of soaps and sanitizers at quarantine centres.