CUTTACK: Relatives of unscreened migrants quarantined in different facilities in their native villages have easy access to their kin throwing all Covid-19 standard operating procedures to the wind.Sixty-year-old Ranjan Gahana of Kanhupur Kacharapatana under Gotara in Mahanga block cycles to a Temporary Medical Camp (TMC) at Bhabani Girls High School to provide meals to his daughter quarantined at the centre. Ranjan not only provides her food but also stays there from 5 pm to 5 am to guard her in the absence of security personnel.
His 22-year-old daughter was working in a shrimp farm in Balasore and had returned home recently following which her family members informed Panchayat Executive Officer (PEO) who advised them to keep her in home quarantine. But, as there was facility in her house she chose to stay in the camp.“The panchayat officials told me to prepare food at home as they were not able to cook food for a single person. They, however, assured to pay `60 per day,” said Gahana, adding that he was ignorant of cost of food announced by the Government.
Meanwhile, PEO of Gotara panchayat Abhiram Malla said due to inconvenience in cooking and providing food to a single person, her father has been advised to arrange food from his house. “We are paying `60 towards providing two-time meal per day as she returned from within the State,” said Malla.Similarly, in the absence of arrangement for cooking food, family members have been serving food to three migrant workers who recently returned from Surat and have been quarantined in Government UP School at Dhansar under Banki-Damapada block.
While Dhansar panchayat Sarapanch Saraju Nayak refused to comment, the PEO concerned Ganapat Rout took the same plea as Malla. “The panchayat officials are finding it difficult to cook food for two/three persons. Hence, they are arranging food from their homes,” said a senior officer of the district administration.Questions are being raised over easy access of the family members and relatives to the TMCs in gross violation of SOP issued by theGovernment which is posing a threat for COVID-19 infection.