CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami on Thursday urged the government to take measure for early evacuation of J&K residents stranded in outside states.
In a statement Tarigami said thousands of labourers,students, shawl/handicraft vendors and patients visiting Delhi, PGI,Chandigarh, Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai and other medical institutionswere stranded in different parts of the country.
“The miseries of these people amid coronavirus pandemic andlockdown have worsened. Since the temperature in most of the states outsidesJ&K is rising, these people are facing another crisis. At several places,the stranded labourers are living under tarpaulin tents in miserableconditions, amid hot and humid conditions,” said Tarigami.
He said the government has announced food and shelter forthe stranded labourers, but ground level reports reveal that these people werefacing scarcity of food and shelter.
“They have exhausted their earnings and are facing immensedifficulties. Food is the foremost concern,” said Tarigami. “Withoutundermining efforts to combat COVID19, a serious view should be taken tofacilitate the return of these stranded persons.”
Tarigami said recent guidelines by Union Ministry of HomeAffairs were “disappointing” and they need a review so that process for returnof this sizable section of population was addressed.
“All these stranded people from want to come back and remainin mandatory quarantine. It is imperative to maintain social distancing andlockdown. But on the other hand, those stranded can’t be left unattended. Thereis lot of uncertainty among their families,” Tarigami said.
Similarly, he said, migrant workers from outside, strandedin J&K and Ladakh, must be taken care of properly by the J&Kadministration.
The Deputy Commissioners concerned must arrange for theirfood and shelter,” he said.