Lockdown: 8,208 stranded residents registered with Tripura govt

Agartala: Amid the national lockdown over COVID-19 pandemic, a total of 8,208 residents of Tripura stranded in different parts of the country have contacted the administration to register their names, said law minister Ratan Lal Nath.

Speaking at a press conference, Nath said that 8,208 persons from Tripura stranded in other states have registered themselves to return home.

“It is impossible to get the exact number of people stranded outside Tripura until they register themselves with the administration. However, the number could be more than 30,000, if not less,” Nath said.

He also said that a total of 1,221 applications for inter-state movement passes were received by the state government. “The applications are being forwarded to the authorities of the respective states with preference to the patients and students stranded in different parts of the country,” Nath added.

He also said that the government has spent over Rs 1.57 crore in providing financial assistance to 4,138 stranded persons and a number of them would receive the amount soon.

Meanwhile, since May 1, over 1,130 persons have entered Tripura through Churaibari check post, which is the only entry point for the state connecting Tripura with the rest of the country via Assam. “People entering the state are being screened and those coming from hotspots and red zones are placed under facility quarantine for a night in North Tripura district until the test reports arrive,” Nath said.

The North Tripura district has made arrangements for 716 beds in seven locations for passengers travelling from other states to stay in quarantine before leaving towards their home.

Meanwhile, Rajyasabha MP Jharna Das Baidya has written a letter to chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb requesting him to arrange train services from Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad Kolkata and New Delhi for stranded persons.