COVID-19 cases in India has risen to 85,940 with 2,752 deaths. There are 53,035 active cases while 30,152 have been cured/discharged, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Maharashtra has highest COVID-19 cases – 29,100, followed by Tamil Nadu – 10,108, Gujarat – 9,931 and Delhi – 8,895.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman yesterday in her press conference announced the 3rd Tranche of measures to strengthen Infrastructure Logistics, Capacity Building, Governance and Administrative Reforms for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Processing Sectors.
Giving details, Sitharaman said that out of these 11 measures, 8 measures are for improving agricultural infrastructure and 3 measures are for administrative and governance reforms, including removing restrictions on sale and stock limits of farm produce.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on May 11 wrote to all States/UTs to facilitate faster movement of stranded migrant workers to their native places, through buses and ‘Shramik’ special trains being run by the Government specifically for this purpose.
The communication highlighted the situation wherein migrant workers are walking on the roads and on railway tracks. All States/UTs were advised that in case they are found in such condition, they should be appropriately counselled, taken to nearby shelters and provided with food, water, etc. till they are facilitated to board the ‘Shramik’ special trains or buses to their native places.
However, instances of migrant workers walking on roads, railway tracks and travelling in trucks are still being reported from different parts of the country. In view of this, MHA has again written to all States/UTs to ensure that these migrant workers do not have to walk back home.
The communication states that Ministry of Railways is running more than 100 ‘Shramik’ special trains per day and is ready to arrange additional trains, as per requirement. People need to be made aware about these arrangements and counselled by State/UT governments to not travel on foot, when they can travel in buses/trains being specially run by the government to facilitate their journey.
