As of now, the directives are to use buses to facilitate inter-state movement of stranded people, as per guidelines laid down by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and as per protocols developed by states, said Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, here on Thursday.
Responding to a question whether if Centre is considering proposal by many State governments for running special trains to transport stranded people like students and migrant laborers, Srivastava said: "As of now, the directives are to use buses."
Srivastava informed that the Government has issued orders to states/UTs to facilitate the inter-state movement of stranded people, as per guidelines laid down by MHA and as per protocols developed by states.
"All States/UTs should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending such stranded persons. The nodal authorities shall also register the stranded persons within their States/UTs. In case a group of stranded persons wish to move between one State/UT and another State/UT, the sending and receiving States may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road," she said.
"The moving persons would be screened and those found asymptomatic would be allowed to proceed. Buses shall be used for transport of groups of persons. The buses will be stized and shall follow safe social distancing norms in seating. The States/UTs falling on the transit route will allow the passage of such persons to the receiving State/UT," she added.
She further said that on arrival at their destination, such person(s) would be assessed by the local health authorities, and kept in home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the person(s) in institutional quarantine.
"They would be kept under watch with periodic health check-ups. For this purpose, such persons may be encouraged to use Aarogya Setu app through which their health status can be monitored and tracked," she added.
The lockdown, which was originally scheduled to continue till April 14, has been extended to May 3 keeping the rising number of COVID-19 cases in mind.
( With inputs from ANI )