IMPHAL, April 29 - The Manipur Government today sent four buses to bring back 84 stranded passengers belonging to the State, who are currently staying at the Manipur Bhavan in Guwahati.
Deputy Secretary of the State Home Department Joel G Haokip issued a transit/movement pass in this respect on Wednesday. The four buses with a driver and a handyman each, left Imphal around 5.30 pm today.
P Vaiphei, Principal Secretary, General Administration Department (GAD) and Transport, and the two GAD Under Secretaries saw off the four buses at Mantripukhri here.
The GAD also handed over 500 bottles of hand sanitisers and as many face masks for use at the Manipur Bhavan, Guwahati, and by the stranded passengers. Packaged drinking water was also handed over to the drivers.
Meanwhile, the Manipur Police has requested both the Assam Police and the Nagaland Police to inform all check points along the route for the smooth passage of these buses, official sources said.
Additional Director of the Manipur Health Department Dr Khoirom Sasheekumar Mangang said that the 84 persons would return to the State on May 1. They will be received at the Mao entry point between 6 to 12 noon. Symptomatic individuals will be referred to the RIMS and the JNIMS, he said in a press release. Non-symptomatic persons will be escorted to the quarantine centres at Imphal for testing, the release added. Those persons with negative results will be sent to their homes for quarantine.
When contacted, Administrative Officer of the Manipur Bhavan, Guwahati, Chingangbam Rajen Singh, said that out of the 84 persons including patients, government and private employees, businessmen and other professionals, 37 are students who have returned from different parts of the country.
Earlier, around 92 persons from Manipur took shelter in the Manipur Bhawan at Guwahati after nationwide lockdown was announced.
