Govt to launch portal to help stranded citizens return home

The central government, as well as some state governments of India, are launching web portals to assist stranded people to come back home.
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The whole country is under lockdown, and through this point, plenty of people are stuck in several parts of India, far away from home, unable to return.

After being stranded for over a month, people can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the central government, as well as some state governments of India, are launching web portals to assist stranded people to come back home.

The union government is going to launch an online web portal for people impacted due to the national lockdown imposed to check the spread of Covid-19 in India.

The state governments have also been asked to upload the details of all migrant workers, including their Aadhaar details and bank accounts, on the portal.

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States like Gujarat and Goa have stepped up to urge their stranded people home. A day after Centre’s announcement to permit the interstate movement of stranded migrant workers, students, and tourists, the Gujarat government on Thursday appointed 16 bureaucrats as nodal officers to facilitate the movement of such people across borders.

“The state government will also launch an online portal to permit persons stranded due to the coronavirus-enforced lockdown to apply online to get travel permission from respective district collectors,” said the secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), Ashwani Kumar.

“We have appointed eight IAS and eight IPS officers as nodal officers to coordinate with officials of other states and Union territories to facilitate the movement of persons. Gujaratis stranded in other states can call 1070 state helpline number to get themselves registered,” said Kumar.

As a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the virus, people having COVID-19-like symptoms, like cold or fever, will not tend permission to travel to other states, he said.

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Around 60,000 migrants from nine states are stuck in Goa. The state government of Goa on Thursday launched an online portal, goaonline.gov.in, to facilitate their movement. the same portal will be used to connect with Goans stuck in other parts of the country.

Chief minister Pramod Sawant said people can apply on the portal or visit the collector’s office to receive instant approval to travel outside the state. “Necessary directions have been issued to district collectors to expedite the issuing of travel permits,” he said.

A senior officer said that transport modalities are being figured out. If the bus has to travel to UP, then we’ve to look at the time period and work out what number drivers will be needed so that the journey is comfortable and safe.

“States that request us to send their people back will have to pay the bus fares. just in case stranded Goans want to return on the same bus, then we will bear 50% of the value,” the officer said.

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MHA’s directives state that all travel will be by road which the transporting buses need to be sanitized and follow “safe social distancing norms in seating”.

Puducherry also launched the same portal for its people, who went to other states and are now stranded.

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Also Read, DGCA Issue New Circular on Travel Restrictions

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Manish Khandelwal
Manish Khandelwal

Manish Khandelwal, a travel-tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the travel industry. Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Travelobiz.com, he's passionate about writing.

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