First batch of 217 migrant workers return to Odisha from

The first batch of 217 migrant workers, stranded in Gujarat's Surat, returned to Odisha after undertaking a 60-hour-long journey, officials said on Thursday.

Four buses carrying the migrant workers, who hail from the Ganjam district, reached late on Wednesday night and were immediately quarantined at a facility, said collector Vijay Amruta Kulange.

The primary health screening of all the returnees have been done, he said.

We request all the residents of Ganjam to refrain from visiting these quarantine centres. Strict action will be initiated in case of any violation, Kulange said.

Around two lakh people from the district, stranded in different parts of the country due to the nationwide lockdown, have registered their names on the government portal to return home, he said