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Dimapur, May 12 (EMN): Nagaland government on Tuesday announced its staggered plans in connection with bringing in citizens of the state stranded outside, even as Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio is scheduled to meet with representatives of various civil societies in Dimapur on Wednesday to seek the latter’s opinions and suggestions.
In a press release issued on Tuesday night, Chief Secretary Temjen Toy listed the state government’s strategy to deal with the issue.
“…the state government has decided to give first priority and preference to stranded senior citizens and patients who had gone for medical treatment, distressed persons and those facing difficulties for repatriation to the state. The government has also decided to give INR 10,000 to those citizens of Nagaland presently staying outside who opt to stay back where they are at present. In this connection, it is also cautioned that systems have been put in place to check fraudulent claims and punish such dishonest opportunists,” he announced.
According to the chief secretary, the government of Nagaland has been working on detailed plans to bring in stranded citizens in a staggered manner ‘keeping in view our limitations in infrastructure for quarantine and other resources’.
However, he said, the government of India’s announcement of special train services from Delhi and other major cities has thrown these plans out of gear.
The state government is now working on a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) so that the required quarantine and other protocols are put in place before the arrival of the stranded and distressed citizens into the state, Toy added.
‘In the meantime, several civil societies, tribe hohos and NGOs have made appeals to the citizens stranded or staying outside the state not to come back at this juncture unless it is unavoidable. The state government appreciates these appeals, given the fact that states bringing in stranded people from affected parts of the country have resulted in the increase of Covid-19 positive cases in those states. This is therefore a matter of great concern and a challenge for Nagaland, which has fortunately remained Covid-19 free so far,’ the chief secretary stated.