COVID-19 lockdown: Over 1,000 Kashmiri migrants stranded in Punjab sent home

Over 1,000 Kashmiris, who had been stuck in Punjab's Pathankot due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown, were sent home on Monday, an official statement said.

Nearly 1,200 migrants were stranded in Pathankot after the Jammu and Kashmir administration had refused them entry in the union territory, it said.

The Kashmiri migrants had reached Pathankot from various states and on Monday the J-K government allowed them to return to the union territory, the Punjab government's statement said.

It said the migrants were provided shelter, food and lodging during their stay in nine quarantine facilities of Pathankot.

They were provided 24X7 support, with proper board and lodging, as well as food. Medical teams were deployed round-the-clock for regular health checkups and for providing them with regular supply of medicines, Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta said in the statement.

The Kashmiri migrants acknowledged the support provided to them by the state government, specially the Punjab Police, it said.

The Punjab Police has been a warm host for 20 days in these dark days, said a resident of Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district.

They also expressed gratitude to Radha Soami Dera Beas and other organisations who helped them during this critical time, the statement said.