Ensure food, lodging for migrant workers: CM to Collectors

Coming to the rescue of migrant workers stranded in the state owing to the lockdown due to COVID-19, the Tamil Nadu government on Sunday advised district collectors to ensure that the employees from other states get proper food and accommodation. Orders were also issued to the Collectors to take up alternative arrangements if there was any difficulty in the present accommodation offered to the migrant employees, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said in a statement.

For workers who have already stepped out of their respective towns or if they were staying in railway stations in Tamil Nadu, Palaniswami told the Collectors to arrange temporary accommodation. The funds for providing the accommodation may be utilized from the State Disaster Relief Fund, he said in the statement.

Two committees headed by senior IAS officers would be formed to provide the necessary assistance for the welfare of the employees and students from other states, it said. The two committees would operate along with the existing nine special teams comprising senior IAS officials which were already constituted to contain the spread of coronavirus in the state, he said.

Chief Minister said a crisis management committee led by a district collector would be formed. It would comprise leaders of chambers of commerce, executive directors of private hospitals, medical experts, NGOs to take precautionary measures on the spread of coronavirus. Palaniswami said medical officers were asked to lay special focus on 1.50 lakh pregnant women during the next two months, who were advised to call 102 and 104 for necessary assistance.

He said private hospitals should send details of those individuals who suffer from chronic breathing problems to health department. Orders were also issued to collectors that social distancing was strictly followed in places like fish market, meat and vegetable shops, the statement said.