Special trains to leave from Katra Railway Station
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 16: To facilitate the hassle free return of migrant workers and other stranded persons of different States in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory Government today issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for their departure movement.
“The trains for various destinations in the country will leave from Railway Station Katra, where the migrant workers and stranded persons shall be brought in an organized manner from their respective places of stay in the UT of J&K for their further departure,” reads the SOP order, issued today by Shaleen Kabra, Principal Secretary to Government, Home Department, who has been designated as Nodal Officer for Movement of Stranded Persons of J&K.
As per the directions contained in the SOPs, the Nodal Officer will seek requisition of trains from the Railways on the basis of information provided by the Labour Commissioner, which should be duly vetted after verification on ground before furnishing the same since the consent of the receiving state is also required.
The Labour Commissioner will provide full train passenger manifest along with destination districts of a particular State, preferably all those going to a particular destination district in the same train besides destination district wise summery and this information should be furnished at least four days in advance of the likely departure.
Thereafter, the Nodal officer of J&K UT shall notify the departure schedule of the trains while Saurabh Bhagat, Commissioner Secretary Labour and Employment Department shall assist him for the same.
As the arrival to Katra from across the UT will have to be coordinated with reference to the departure schedule of the trains, Hirdesh Kumar, Chief Electoral Officer, J&K- who has been recently nominated as the Overall In-Charge for all the stranded persons arriving at Railway Station Katra, will also be the Overall Coordinator/In-charge for the movement from districts. For better coordination, the Labour Commissioner shall work under the direct supervision of Hirdesh Kumar.
The Divisional Commissioners, assisted by the Deputy Commissioner, CEO SMVDSB Katra and the Labour Commissioner, J&K, shall prepare the detailed plan for movement of the stranded persons from different district to Railway Station Katra, in a time bound manner. They shall ensure that all the passengers reach Katra Railway Station at least four hours before the scheduled departures of the train, says the SOP, according to which the senior most officer of the Labour department shall be the District Nodal Officer (DNO) in a district for movement of stranded persons to Railway Station Katra.
Under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioners, the DNO shall prepare list of the stranded persons who wish to return to their home State and also make a movement plan for their transportation. The DNO shall also liaise with the RTOs and ARTOs for logistic arrangements for transportation so that these persons , after screening, are taken from boarding points to railway Station Katra by buses/minibuses/vans/ taxies. Besides undertaking all necessary coordination for movement of the stranded persons from the district to Railway Station Katra, the DNO shall also arrange 1-2 meals on the day of transport depending upon the time of the departure of the trains.
The Deputy Commissioners shall make arrangements for screening to ensure that `Fit to Travel Certificate’ is issued well in time to those who qualify as per SOP. The DCs shall ensure all necessary arrangements, including necessary transport, meals, drinking water, health protocol, timely arrival of stranded persons at Katra Railway Station and appointment of required number of Magistrates for the safe movement of migrant workers.
Hirdesh Kumar, as In-charge for arrival at Katra, shall ensure arrangements for reception, screening, ticketing, boarding, temporary halt if any , allotment of seats, provision of one meal at Katra and two meals for journey period along with drinking water bottled etc. the Deputy Commissioner Reasi shall provide any necessary assistance in this regard to Hirdesh Kumar.
The screening, transportation and other arrangement shall be made as per this SOP while ensuring that the guidelines issued by Railway authorities for Shramik Special Trains are adhered to by all the concerned.
In the entire process, the applicable guidelines of safety, health precautions, social distancing will be ensured and the transport vehicles shall be sanitized besides following safe social distancing norms.
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