State forms three-level panels to monitor migrants

SANKHA GHOSH, SNS, SILIGURI, 30 MAY 2020: To ensure more focused and close monitoring of migrant workers and people returning, especially from Covid-19- hit states, the state govemment has taken initiatives to form a three-level task force districtwise.

The task force will also use a mobile application of the state government.

The state government has made institutional quarantine mandatory for returnees from 'high burden' states like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi that has seen a spike in the number of cases.

It has asked authorities to make 'necessary logistic and health monitoring arrangements' at the quarantine facilities for people returning from 'high burden states' and also enforcement and health monitoring of home quarantine for people from other states.

According to multiple sources at both the administration and the health department, the task force, involving representatives from the grassroots level, will help implement the plan of the state government as it had been facing grave problems in handling returnees coming from those Covid-19 affected states.

The order issued on 27 May by the state govemment mentions the functioning of the task force.

"The task forces will prepare databases at the destination district of all the people reaching from other states., ensure facilities in itstitutional quarantine centres, monitor the health of the people both in institutional and home quarantine regularly by using the 'Sandhane' app and enforce the advisory--Do's and Don'ts, it will also coordinate various activities related to containment and management or Covid-19,"sources said.

Administrative sources said the six-member district-level task force will be headed by the district magistrate as the chairman. Other members are the sabhadhipati or representative, superintendent of police, all ADMs, SDOs and the chief medical officer of health as member convenor.

An eight-member task force at the civic body level will be headed by the SDO as the chairman with other funcdonaries of corporations or municipalities, its health officer, inspectors-in-charge or officers-in-charge.

Another eight-member block level task force will be headed by the BDO, where local MLAs or representatives and gram panachayat pradhans are among the members.

"The formation of the three-level task force has been completed in the district and it will be functional within a few days.The task forces will keep a close tab on the returnees," Darjeeling district magistrate S Ponnambalarn said.