The Odisha Government has decided to bring back the Odia migrant workers currently stranded in Gujarat and Maharashtra due to the lockdown.
The decision was taken after a videoconferencing between Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani, in which Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also participated.
Later, Patnaik also held videoconferencing talks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhab Thakre for the purpose.
As per the decision, coordination committees comprising two senior officers of each State would be formed for facilitating safe return of the workers. Most of the workers will be brought back by buses, official sources said, adding that a decision on using other modes of transportation would be taken after a review later.
It has also been decided that the Governments of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh would be requested to exempt road tax for the buses to be used for the purpose.