GTA helps youths return from Bihar

SNS, DARJEELING, 15 May 2020: Twenty-one youths from Kalimpong, Siliguri and Sikkim, who had started walking home all the way from Sasaram in Bihar, today reached Siliguri, after the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) intervened and helped them return.

The 21 youths were left with no option but to return home after the company they worked for asked them to leave.

"The GTA was unaware of it earlier, but after we learnt about them, we coordinated in bringing them back so that they did not have to walk back," GTA chairman Anit Thapa had earlier said in his Facebook post.

The youths had walked for two days, while learning of their plight, they were tracked down around Bhaktiyapur and arrangements made for their lodging there so that they could take some rest.

Mr Thapa is also said to have transferred an amount of Rs 25,000 to them so that they could arrange a vehicle to return.

A youth said two among them were from Sliguri, three from Sikkim and the remaining from Kalimpong.

The 21 have been sent to a quarantine centre and will be sent to their respective places in vehicles provided by the GTA after necessary tests and medical check-up, it is learnt.One of the youths, Puspha Bhujel, from East Sikkim, thanked the GTA for the help provided.

On the other hand, Mr Thapa also maintained that the Triveni Guest house in Kalimpong, which is being converted into a 100-bed Covid Specialty Hospital, will take care of both Covid 19 and SARI patients.

He said the hospital is divided into four levels with the ground floor for level one and level two patients, which includes suspected cases and "severe suspected cases" and will have around 60 beds for male and female.

He added that Level-3 will be for Covid positive patients with 30 beds and level-four will be the CCU unit with modern facilities and will have 10 beds,with a future provision of extension.

"The second floor is designed for the accommodation of medical and paramedical staff, which includes doctors, nurses and group -D staff.

The work started on 11 May and our target is to complete it within 3 weeks," Mr Thapa said.