Nodal officers for stranded workers

BHUBANESWAR:  With thousands of workers from other states stranded at different places in Odisha because of the 21-day countrywide lockdown, the State Government on Sunday appointed nodal officers to take address their issues. The nodal officers will coordinate stay and provide all necessary support so that the workers are not put to difficulties. The Government has decided to accommodate these home-bound workers in school and hostel buildings. 

In a letter to all Collectors, municipal commissioners and municipality authorities, Principal Secretary of Home Sanjeev Chopra asked them to use closed schools and hostels as temporary shelters to house these workers and ensure that all necessary amenities are made available to them till the end of lockdown period.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had earlier assured his counterparts that his Government will provide all support to people from different States stranded in Odisha during the lockdown period. Meanwhile, the Centre on Sunday asked all State Governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal State and district borders to stop the movement of migrant workers.

Who’s in charge?

• Yeddula Vijaya, Deputy Secretary in Planning and Coordination department - Telangana 
• B Parameswaran, Director, Drinking Water and Sanitation - Andhra Pradesh
• Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma, Secretary in SSEPD - West Bengal 
• Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, Managing Director of IPICOL - Gujarat
• Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Director, Special Projects -Maharashtra 
• Chitra Arumugam, Principal Secretary in School and Mass Education - Tamil Nadu 
• Sadique Alam, Executive Director, CMGI - Bihar and Jharkhand 
• M Muthukumar, Director, Agriculture and Food Production - Kerala
• Sanjib Mishra, Resident Commissioner, New Delhi - National Capital Region
• Amitabh Thakur, Special Secretary, Home - all other States

Measures Odisha to accommodate 
home-bound workers in closed school and hostel buildings
All necessary amenities will be made available to workers till the end of lockdown period
Centre on Sunday asked all States and UTs to stop movement of migrant workers