BERHAMPUR: With lakhs of migrants scheduled to return to Ganjam after lockdown is eased, Sarpanchs of various panchayats in the district are worried over lack of adequate space in temporary Covid care centres that have been set up in 503 panchayats to isolate the incoming workers for 14 days. As per a prelimnary report of the administration, as many as 4 lakh migrants will return to the district. However, each of the centres set up in Government schools have infrastructure to accommodate only 10 persons. In case more number of migrants are accommodated, social distancing cannot be maintained.
Sarpanch of Kotharsingh panchayat, N Sujata Reddy is worried as she does not know how to accommodate the returnees and the expenses to be incurred. At least 1500 migrant workers will return to the panchayat after May 3. The panchayat has only one centre with just 10 beds. “Where will I accommodate them all? Even if we decide to open more such centres in the panchayat, where will we get the funds to buy beds and other things that are required?”, wonders Reddy. She points out that at least `15,000 is required to feed each person for 14 days.
Ganjam administration, which has so far received applause from all quarters for its work on containing spread of coronavirus, has decided to use all schools and colleges in the district as Covid care centres. However, it is yet to make necessary arrangements and procure furniture for the purpose. Former sarpanch of Kotharingi panchayat, N Damburu Reddy alleges that the administration is delaying the process of selecting educational institutions where these centres would be set up.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Kanhu Charan Pati said the `5 lakh the Government claims to have released to Sarpanchs for setting up the centres and operating them, has actually been withdrawn from panchayat allottment. “The amount has been shifted from panchayat funds to special accounts opened in the names of Sarpanch and Panchayat Officers. The funds are being used to white wash, purchasing beds and making other arrangements in the centres”, he alleged.
No space for social distancing in this temporary centre
Rourkela: Temporary Covid-19 Care Centres set up across 279 gram panchayats of Sundargarh cry out for amenities and basic safety protocol. Even sufficient space for migrant labourers to maintain social distancing is not available. The three-room Bhangrinocha High School at Andhari gram panchayat of Kuanrmunda block is crammed with 31 beds. It does not even have space to maintain a safe distance of at least two feet between two persons.
As on Saturday, 12 migrant labourers have been accommodated in the centre. As many as 41 beds were brought in and 10 of these are still waiting outside due to lack of space. There is no other suitable building available in the neighbourhood for the purpose, Andhari Sarpanch Sophia Jiwanti Bage says. An MDM cook, her helper and another woman have been engaged to provide cooked food to inmates and cleaning the centre. These temporary centres at the gram panchayat level are being created using schools, hostels and gram panchayat office buildings by the sarparchs with `5 lakh each at their disposal.
(PRASANJEET SARKAR)