ITANAGAR, May 8 - As a mark of gratitude, a group of migrant workers painted, without charging a paisa, a school building in Arunachal Pradesh that sheltered them during the lockdown, an official said today.
The workers, mostly from Dhemaji and North Lakhimpur districts in neighbouring Assam, took shelter in the school in Yupia area of Papum Pare district, and they wanted to paint the building that was their home for several days, he said.
�Within a couple of days, the school building, which was not in a good shape, was given a new look,� Papum Pare Deputy Commissioner Pige Ligu said.
Expressing her happiness, the headmistress of the upper primary school, Obbi Zirdo Rumi, said the maintenance of the building was due.
�It is an unbelievable moment for the institution. I am very thankful to the workers and the district administration for their support and cooperation in this crisis period,� she said.
The migrant workers also cleaned the school premises and repaired the wooden benches, the headmistress said.
�We are habituated to hard work and happy to keep ourselves busy with activities in these tough times. It was our gratitude to the local administration that was taking care of us,� one of the migrant workers said.
The Deputy Commissioner said the authorities were continuously monitoring the health condition of the workers while they painted the building.
�We ensured that social distancing protocol and health safety guidelines were followed while they were working,� Ligu pointed out.
The district administration had arranged two relief camps � one at the school and another at the UD Shopping Complex � to provide shelter to more than 145 workers during the nationwide lockdown.
Papum Pare SP Jimmy Chiram said adequate security arrangements were made for the stranded workers, and regular physical training sessions were arranged to keep them fit during their stay in the relief camps.
The administration, along with the police, also helped all migrant workers reach their respective destinations safely. � PTI
