IMPHAL, May 12 - Prior to the arrival of a special train carrying 1,140 stranded people of the State from Chennai to the Jiribam Railway Station in Manipur, the Jiribam district administration has taken a lot of precautionary measures. The special train had already left Chennai in the evening on May 10.
The State�s only rail head is located at Jiribam, situated about 220 km west of Imphal. The special train is expected to arrive on May 13.
The Deputy Commissioner of Jiribam district, in an order issued on Tuesday, said, ��large number of passengers will be getting down from the train and buses are arranged to pick up the passengers from the railway platform.�
Markets will remain closed from 10 am on May 13 to 11 am on May 14, the order added.
The order further stated that vehicular movement would be restricted and only those with valid curfew passes or engaged in essential services or in the management of the railway platform and bus parking area on the higher secondary school ground, would be allowed movement.
Meanwhile, 50 buses which were sent to ferry passengers from Jiribam to Imphal, reached Jiribam town after they were flagged off here on Monday, sources said. The State Transport Department is providing about 150 buses for transporting those returning home by train.
Earlier, the State Government had already issued a standard operating procedure to facilitate transport and screening of the stranded people on their arrival at Jiribam.
On Tuesday, the State Health Department clarified that community quarantine and/or institutional quarantine would be adopted for the returnees.
A sum of Rs 12.36 lakh has already been sanctioned from the Chief Minister�s COVID-19 relief fund to bear the train fare of the returnees, at the rate of Rs 1,030 per passenger for 1,200 passengers. The State is also planning to receive other special trains carrying stranded people from Punjab and Karnataka.
