BHUBANESWAR: Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan came to the rescue of stranded pilgrims after he alerted the government to take care of the people stuck in the state due to nationwide lockdown. Around 15 pilgrims from Odisha were held up in Tirupati following imposition of Janata Curfew and subsequent lockdown across the country.
As Harichandan was informed about their plight, he took up the matter with the Andhra Pradesh Government. The AP Governor has also instructed the state administration to take care of 93 Odia labourers stranded in different parts of the state after the lockdown. Meanwhile, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Pratap Sarangi have jointly taken up the issue of stranded Odias. They have requested the states to arrange food and accommodations for these stranded people.
Sarangi said he had telephonic discussions with many of district collectors and requested them to make proper arrangement for accommodation and food of Odia people till the lockdown is withdrawn. On Sunday, the two Union Ministers discussed the matter with state BJP leaders through video conferencing from New Delhi. They advised the state leadership to prepare a list of people stranded in other states and find out their plight. The BJP will constantly monitor the situation till the situation improved, said state party president Samir Mohanty.
BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda, meanwhile, sought the intervention of Bengaluru City Police and Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya to help Odia workers stuck in the city without food amid the enforcement of the lockdown. In response to Panda’s request, Surya tweeted, “We will do everything in our capacity to help all migrant workers in Bengaluru. They have added value to my city. It’s our responsibility to take care of them now.”