J-K govt arranges special trains to bring back its residents stranded across country

The Jammu and Kashmir government is arranging special trains for its residents stranded across the country due to the lockdown and will bear the cost of the tickets, even as 30,000 people have so far returned to the UT with proper regulation, the Home Department said on Friday.

"Train services are being arranged for stranded persons of J-K, particularly from far off places. These trains will start arriving shortly and necessary coordination with the sending states as also with Railway authorities is going on," a statement from the UT's Home Department said.

It said the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to bear the cost of the tickets.

"The returnees will not need to make any payments for their return journey by train," the statement said.

However, it said nobody should move in a hurry without passes issued with the consent of the J-K government.

"Else, will be quarantined for 21 days in Kathua," the statement said.

The J-K government issued a standard operating procedure on April 30, a day after the Union Ministry of Home affairs allowed movement of stranded persons with certain conditions.

"The Government of J-K has collected details of stranded persons who wish to return to J-K by providing web links for registration, the statement said.

Arrangements are being made for their arrival in an orderly manner while adhering to the norms of social distancing and undertaking tests to ensure that timely action is taken to prevent any spread of COVID-19 in J-K, it said.

"Approximately 30,000 persons have entered the UT, with proper regulation, from Lakhanpur. During this period, migrant workers, students and stranded persons from the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab have already returned to J-K. The stranded persons in the states/UTs of Haryana, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and Delhi have been permitted to return, in a regulated manner, with effect from May 7 and this process will continue for a week," the Home Department said.

The government said it is necessary that the return is managed properly so that its efforts to contain COVID-19 do not get adversely affected.

"The government reassures all the stranded persons of J-K that it is taking every possible step for their early return to their homes. The government is fully aware of the details of the stranded persons of J-K at various places across the country, not only through the web links started by the Government of J-K but also from the data shared by the sending states/UTs," the statement said.