Over 6,000 labourers, students brought back to J-K in past 4 days amid lockdown

Over 6,000 labourers and students hailing from the Union Territory of JK were brought back from various parts of the country amid the coronavirus lockdown. All the people returning to the valley will be tested and subsequently home quarantined.

Kathua (J-K):Jammu and Kashmir administration has brought back over 6,000 labourers and students of the Union Territory in the past four days who were stranded in various parts of the country amid the lockdown imposed to control the spread of coronavirus, officials said on Wednesday.

With this, a total of over 17,700 people hailing from the Union Territory have been brought back to Jammu and Kashmir during the lockdown period, they said.

"As many as 3,022 people of J-K have been evacuated from various states during the past 24 hours. With this, a total of 6,355 labourers and students have been brought here in the past four days," said Ajeet Sahu, Commissioner Secretary, Jal Shakti department said.

Sahu, who heads the management and regulation of the Inter-State border terminal for entry into Jammu and Kashmir, said a total of 17,770 have so far arrived in Jammu and Kashmir from other states during the lockdown.

Giving breakup, he said 1,977 labourers and passengers have been evacuated from Punjab, followed by 3,955 from Himachal Pradesh, 399 students from Kota and 24 people from Uttar Pradesh (UP).

The Jammu and Kashmir government had sealed the Inter-state border terminal on March 24, allowing only movement of people with passes and vehicles carrying essential supplies and patients.

On March 31, the Jammu and Kashmir administration set up a 24x7 control room at Lakhanpur inter-state border plaza in Kathua district for hassle-free movement of trucks carrying essential supplies to the union territory.

Of 17,770 persons, as many as 1,862 patients along with drivers and attendants arrived from outside J-K during the period, he said.

Besides these, 20 foreign returnees have also arrived in Jammu and Kashmir via Lakhanpur and were sent to quarantine, he said.

As many as 221 officers of the army and paramilitary forces also arrived via Lakhanpur followed by 77 people from essential services and 737, who had emergency passes, he said.

He said as many as 10,625 were sent to administrative quarantine in Kathua-Samba belts and out of them, 8813 were released from quarantine.

"Anyone wishing to enter Jammu and Kashmir including local students and those who have gone outside for work or holiday will have to undergo 14-day quarantine," District Development Commissioner Kathua Om Parkash Bhagat said.

He said there will be no compromise in enforcing the lockdown to curb the spread of coronavirus.

The government has set up four big quarantine centres in Kathua and Samba districts for housing those coming from outside the Union Territory.

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor G C Murmu had earlier said over 350 students and nearly 40,000 labourers are stranded outside the Union Territory due to the nationwide lockdown imposed in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

He had said all those returning to the Union Territory will be tested and home quarantined.

PTI report.