Delhi govt works out SOP on sending stranded people to home states/UTs

The Delhi government on Sunday issued a detailed standard operating procedure for sending migrant workers, students, pilgrims, tourists and other stranded people to their home states and Union Territories, beginning with the preparation of their database.

The standard operating procedure (SOP) issued in an order by Chief Secretary Vijay Dev also allowed individuals seeking to move to their home states through their own means, with the help of transit passes to be issued by district magistrates concerned.

The district magistrates in Delhi will oversee development of comprehensive database of migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other persons from different states and Union Territories (UTs), stranded in Delhi due to the lockdown and wish to go back, provided the SOP.

The registration of "stranded" persons and preparation of database will be coordinated by additional district magistrates concerned and additional district commissioners of police in each of 11 districts in Delhi, the order stated.

The database will be prepared through a web-based application to be handled by Delhi chief minister's aide Gopal Mohan and Delhi Urban Shelter Housing Board (DUSIB) CEO Vikas Anand among others.

P K Gupta, secretary, social welfare department has been appointed as the state nodal officer of Delhi for the whole exercise.

The Delhi government has already designated nodal officers for all states and UTs for coordinating movement of stranded persons.

The resident commissioners of various states will extend cooperation in collecting information about the stranded persons, the order said.

The SOP allows transportation of stranded persons through buses and trains after proper medical screening of COVID-19.

Only asymptomatic persons will be allowed to move out of the city, it said.

The number of buses and special trains required for the purpose will be finalised by the Delhi government in consultation of nodal officers of other states.

The railways will provide detailed information about such trains later on, the SOP stated.

Throughout this exercise, all measures to check COVID-19 spread, including social distancing and sanitisation of vehicles, will be maintained.

The movement of stranded persons, including migrant workers living in shelter homes, to inter-state bus terminals and other designated border points in buses will be coordinated by Commissioner Transport, MD of Delhi Transport Corporation and MD of Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation, the order said.

Delhi Police Special Commissioner Muktesh Chander will serve as nodal officer who will extend all help and logistic support of police to the state nodal officer for sending stranded persons to their home states and UTs, and also bringing in Delhi people stuck up in other parts of the country, it added.