Malkangiri Collector Manish Agarwal has helped more than 13,000 migrant labourers make their way to the inter-State border checkpost in Motu. These workers were stranded in other States since March 25 when the lockdown was imposed.
The entry of a large number of migrant workers into Malkangiri every day has become a major challenge for the district administration. Apart from conducting their thermal screening and putting them in quarantine, officials are also making arrangements to ferry the workers to their destinations.
A migrant labour from Bargarh stuck at Tamilnadu said, "Collector Agarwal sir has personally come and asked about our welfare and was here while providing meals and also directed the officials to take proper care of us and also to provide any emergency services we need here till we will be back to our native land."
Official sources said teams of police, transport and health staff are camping near the inter-State border at Motu and keeping a round-the-clock vigil to ensure that every returnee is medically examined.
Collector Agarwal said, “On an average 1,300-1,400 unregistered people are arriving every day from adjoining States. Some on foot, some even by bicycles. After the necessary procedures, they are sent to their native block/district by buses. Following the Government guidelines, they are put in 28-day quarantine and then into another seven-days institutional quarantine or home isolation."