SHILLONG, March 31 - The Shillong Markaz today stated that seven of its members had gone to Hazrat-Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi and are stranded outside the State.
Anwar Ali, member of Shillong Markaz, told The Assam Tribune said that its members had gone for the religious congregation on February 2, and that they are all outside the State.
�Five out of the seven members are in New Delhi at this moment and two are in Lucknow. We have informed the authorities here about the present status of the members,� Ali said.
The Shillong Markaz also wrote to the officer in-charge of the Lumdiengjri Police Station here that its members had gone to New Delhi to attend the congregation before the nationwide lockdown came into force.
�They have been stuck at Delhi ever since. Due to the current situation arising out of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, it is our responsibility to cooperate with the administration. The administration can take necessary steps in handling the situation,� the Shillong Markaz said in its intimation letter.
Meanwhile, the State Nodal Officer and Secretary of the Planning Department, Chinmay Ghotmare, confirmed the development and said the members of the Shillong Markaz are in New Delhi.
Several people tested COVID-19-positive and some have died after attending the religious congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi. There are several hundreds still stranded in the mosque due to the lockdown and the entire area has been quarantined.
Meanwhile, Ghotmare and Cyril Diengdoh, Secretary to the Political Department, have been tasked to monitor and coordinate with other States regarding migrant workers and students from Meghalaya stranded across India.
Asked about the reported death of a migrant worker from Meghalaya in Agra, Ghotmare said he has no report of the incident. Reports said that the migrant worker allegedly committed suicide at his rented residence in Agra. The worker had alleged that his employer was not supporting him after the nationwide lockdown. �We have no details of the incident as of now,� Ghotmare said.
