Task forces at village level to take care of migrant labourers

BENGALURU: In view of the second wave of Covid-19, the state government has given additional responsibilities to the task forces constituted at the village and gram panchayat level. According to a circular issued by the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR), which was submitted to the Karnataka High Court on Monday, the task forces should provide food, masks and sanitisers to migrant labourers and other people from weaker sections of society who have returned to villages from cities.

The task forces have been directed to provide necessary facilities to the destitute, speciallyabled, senior citizens, former Devadasis, members of the third gender and women volu nteers. They should take steps to ensure more people get vaccinated and a certificate should be issued to them after they get the second dose. Volunteers should be identified by the task forces and their contact numbers should be made available to all.

Directing the gram pachayats to utilise the balance of the grants provided under the 14th Finance Commission, funds available under 16th Finance Commission or their own resources for meeting expenses towards procuring masks and soaps among others, the RDPR department directed the task forces to make community helplines function in a proactive manner.

The chief executive officers of zilla panchayats and executive officers of taluk panchayats have been directed to assist the task forces. The task forces have been directed to convene meetings every Monday and Thursday to discuss and report the situation within the respective gram panchayats. They have been given intensive training in association with the Department of Health to prevent the spread of infection.