Bhubaneswar: Odisha government on Saturday launched operation 'Subha Yatra' to safely bring back people who are stranded outside the state amid the nationwide lockdown and intend to return.
In the first phase, Odisha government is implementing operation 'Subha Yatra' in coordination with the Kerala government to bring back 1,150 migrants from various parts of Kerala. Under this initiative, Kerala govt officials have shared all the requisite data of the returnees which will enable Odisha to properly track and quarantine people.
Sharing details about the operation at the daily COVID19 briefing of the State government, the IT Secretary Manoj Mishra said Kerala government set up 12 teams comprising its Revenue department, health and police officials to trace out Odisha people who intend to return to Odisha.
"The teams screened them for presence of any COVID-19 and ILI symptoms and accordingly handed them health certificates. Later the officials brought them to the railway station in buses by following proper COVID protocols. They sent us the detailed information about all returnees who are being sent back to Odisha and after inspection in our State COVID portal, we found that all of them have been registered," Mishra said.
On the modus operandi of the operation in Odisha, Mishra said, "After profile-matching of the incoming migrants we have selected two places where they will be alighted from the train so that they can be sent to their designated quarantine camps smoothly. By coordinating with district collectors, RTOs, required number of buses and other vehicles have been arranged for Bhubaneswar and Jagannathpur in Ganjam district where the train will halt."
"All migrants belonging to southern districts will be asked to de-board the train in Jagannathpur and thereafter the rest of them will disembark at Khurda Road junction," he said.
"Entire mapping of returnees travel route to their respective gram panchayats have been made and accordingly the operation will be carried out to ensure that there is no ambiguity," the secretary said.
The government has made it clear that general public have been barred from venturing near the stations and places where the migrants will board and deboard, only authorized government and railway officials will be in charge of all operations.
According to Mishra, for better execution of Subha Yatra operation, all State government wings are working under Home Secretary Sanjeev Chopra who has been put in charge as the nodal officer of Railway movement.
This operation will be followed for bringing Odia people from all other States during the lockdown.