Manipur panel to formulate mechanism for bringing back stranded people

Imphal: A committee constituted by the Manipur government has decided to formulate a mechanism to bring back people from the state stranded in other parts of the country due to the lockdown, a senior official said.

The State Consultative Committee for COVID-19, headed by Chief Minister N Biren Singh, has acknowledged the hardships faced by the stranded persons and will formulate a mechanism to ensure their return to their homes, a statement issued by Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) V Vumlunmang on Saturday night said.

The 21-member committee was constituted on April 23.

A total of 30,000 people from Manipur are stranded in other parts of the country, of which 22,018 people have been given financial aid of Rs 2,000 each, the chief minister had said.

The committee also stressed on opening more quarantine centres for isolating the returning persons, the statement said.

It asked the Health Department to assist local MLAs in identifying locations for setting up the quarantine centres, it said.

The committee asked the police department to step up vigil along the India-Myanmar border and set up pickets in the border villages to prevent cross-border movement of people, the statement added.

PTI