Kolkata: More than 7,000 migrant labourers from the state stranded in different parts of the country have been traced after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to 18 other Chief Ministers, urging them to "shelter" and "take care of" migrant workers from Bengal who have been stuck in their respective states because of the 21-day lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
"There are 7,114 migrant people stranded in states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and others, who belong to our state. They are living in groups in relief camps. We are in constant touch with DMs, BDOs and other officials of those states over phone to ensure that they are getting adequate medical facilities besides food, clean drinking water and sanitation," said Dr P Ulaganathan, district magistrate of South 24-Parganas.
Meanwhile, according to the official data, 3,268 people (including migrant labourers) from other states are stranded in South 24-Parganas.
Any migrant labourer or stranded person needing help can call on the toll free number 1800-345-2020 or 033-24795029/09/30/94.
In a bid to reduce anxiety and fear of COVID-19 among the people stranded in different places, professional counsellors are conducting sessions for them.
"We have arranged online counselling sessions. I have placed counsellors on different duty shifts. They are doing phone counselling to migrants who are under stress. We also have special educators who are trained in counselling. Nearly 10 persons have been deployed in our control room," pointed out Ulaganathan.
South 24-Parganas administration has also set up community kitchens at different locations to feed the needy amid the lockdown over the Coronavirus pandemic. Prayas, a small initiative in South 24-Parganas, has been started through which CD volunteers of different blocks (nearly 300) extend help like the supply of life-saving drugs and any kind of emergency help to senior citizens, persons with disabilities and the critically diseased.