CHANDIGARH: Around 1200 Kashmiri migrants from various states, who were stuck in Pathankot in Punjab for the past twenty days after the Jammu and Kashmir government refused them entry, finally returned home.
The Punjab government provided them shelter, food and lodging during their mandatory twenty day quarantine period before facilitating their return home. When the J&K government refused to allow entry to the migrants, who had reached Pathankot from various states, on account of the lockdown, the Punjab government stepped in to establish nine quarantine facilities for them.
They were provided 24x7 support, with proper board and lodging, as well as food. Medical teams were deployed round-the-clock for regular health checkups and for providing them a regular supply of medicines, said Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta.
As they finally got the nod on Monday from the J&K government to enter the state, the grateful migrants were overwhelmed at the support provided by the Punjab government. They also acknowledged the support provided by Radha Soami Dera Beas and other organisations involved in helping them during this critical time.
“The Punjab Police has been a warm host for 20 days in these dark days,” said a resident of Ramban, Jammu & Kashmir. According to the migrants, the police provided them food, other essentials, shelter, medical facilities and proper sanitation and kept them protected and safe over the past twenty days.
It may be recalled that a large group of Kashmiri migrants from Delhi were earlier facilitated by the Punjab Police to cross the inter-state borders and reach J&K.