BENGALURU: Having received serious backlash over how it handled the nationwide lockdown and the way it treated – or rather completely overlooked – the plight of migrant workers, the government this time decided to introduce mitigation measures.
A day after the week-long lockdown kicked in, the revenue department, on July 15, issued an order asking all districts under lockdown to conduct a fresh survey of people from economically vulnerable sections. Six districts are under lockdown – Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Bidar, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad and Kalaburagi.
The aim was to identify them and provide them with food and shelter. With no accurate numbers on the poor, homeless and migrants, the government has been grappling in the dark over how to provide assistance for them.
In its order, the department had asked district commissioners and BBMP to coordinate with gram panchayats and urban local bodies to “track individual/ households and provide requisite help”.
“We wanted to ensure vulnerable sections in the six districts do not face problems of the past in terms of shelter and food,” said revenue secretary, and now BBMP commissioner, N Manjunatha Prasad.
However, halfway into the lockdown, barring Bidar, none have undertaken the fresh survey ordered by the government.
Prasad said he is yet to receive a report on how many were surveyed, while Bengaluru Rural deputy commissioner PN Ravindra said he has not yet seen the order.
“At present we do not have too many migrants or vulnerable sections of society clamouring for shelter and rations. Moreover, most of our hostels and other accommodations have been converted into Covid care centres,” said Ravindra.
His DK counterpart, Sindhu B Rupesh, said the administration in her district is yet to embark on the survey and is currently relying on previous numbers identified during initial health surveys.
“We will conduct the survey in a day or two, but in DK most of our migrant force has left the district on Shramik trains during the first phase of the lockdown. We had already set up shelter homes for them. We may consider using the same facilities for present requirements,” Sindhu said.
In Bidar, DC R Ramachandran said action has been initiated and advertisements have been issued asking those requiring assistance to come to mustering centres.
“With only 1/4th of the district under lockdown, there is not much of a concern for livelihood. People can access to gainful employment since we have allowed industries, MNREGA and farming activity to continue,” Ramachandran said.
A day after the week-long lockdown kicked in, the revenue department, on July 15, issued an order asking all districts under lockdown to conduct a fresh survey of people from economically vulnerable sections. Six districts are under lockdown – Bengaluru Urban and Rural, Bidar, Dakshina Kannada, Dharwad and Kalaburagi.
The aim was to identify them and provide them with food and shelter. With no accurate numbers on the poor, homeless and migrants, the government has been grappling in the dark over how to provide assistance for them.
In its order, the department had asked district commissioners and BBMP to coordinate with gram panchayats and urban local bodies to “track individual/ households and provide requisite help”.
“We wanted to ensure vulnerable sections in the six districts do not face problems of the past in terms of shelter and food,” said revenue secretary, and now BBMP commissioner, N Manjunatha Prasad.
However, halfway into the lockdown, barring Bidar, none have undertaken the fresh survey ordered by the government.
Prasad said he is yet to receive a report on how many were surveyed, while Bengaluru Rural deputy commissioner PN Ravindra said he has not yet seen the order.
“At present we do not have too many migrants or vulnerable sections of society clamouring for shelter and rations. Moreover, most of our hostels and other accommodations have been converted into Covid care centres,” said Ravindra.
His DK counterpart, Sindhu B Rupesh, said the administration in her district is yet to embark on the survey and is currently relying on previous numbers identified during initial health surveys.
“We will conduct the survey in a day or two, but in DK most of our migrant force has left the district on Shramik trains during the first phase of the lockdown. We had already set up shelter homes for them. We may consider using the same facilities for present requirements,” Sindhu said.
In Bidar, DC R Ramachandran said action has been initiated and advertisements have been issued asking those requiring assistance to come to mustering centres.
“With only 1/4th of the district under lockdown, there is not much of a concern for livelihood. People can access to gainful employment since we have allowed industries, MNREGA and farming activity to continue,” Ramachandran said.
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