Grappling with issues such as insufficient quarantine facilities and no COVID-19 testing centre, the Nagaland government has decided to give a one-time assistance of Rs 10,000 each to migrants stranded in others states if they choose not to return at the moment, a senior official said on Wednesday.
States bringing back stranded persons from different parts of the country during a nationwide lockdown have witnessed a rise in COVID-19 cases, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy said, adding that over 18,000 stranded people from Nagaland have registered themselves with the state government’s portal to return to their homes. “The government has decided to give Rs 10,000 to citizens of the state, presently staying outside, who opt to stay back where they are at present,” Toy said.
On Tuesday, the chief secretary had said that the state government had made detailed plans to facilitate the return of the migrants in a staggered manner due to insufficient quarantine facilities and other resources but the Centre starting special train services to ferry stranded people to their native places has “thrown these plans out of gear”. Considering the circumstances, the state government has decided to prioritise the return of stranded elderly persons and patients who had gone outside the state for treatment, he said. — PTI
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