Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: When coronavirus pandemic is impacting countless households when it comes to finances, an incentive scheme has helped over six lakh Odia migrant workers receive Rs. 2,000 each for completing institutional quarantine on returning to Odisha.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced the scheme to encourage migrant workers returning from other States to undergo institutional quarantine upon their arrival in their respective areas in the State.
A total of 6,49,713 migrant workers were paid incentive of Rs. 2,000 each after successfully completing institutional quarantine so far. The total amount paid by Tuesday was Rs. 129,94,26,000, according to the State government.
This incentive money is being given from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund which received donation from various organizations and individuals during the pandemic.
Lakhs of Odia people, who were stranded due to the nationwide lockdown announced by the Centre in March last week, had returned to their villages taking various modes of transport.
Hundreds of these Odia migrant workers had walked or cycled hundreds of kms from far off places to reach their native places.
The State government had set up more than 17,000 quarantine centres/temporary medical centres at the gram panchayat level across the State for institutional quarantine of migrant workers returning from other States.
While many of these quarantine centres have closed and some of them have been converted into COVID care centres, a majority of them are still functioning in migration prone regions of the State.
New COVID-19 cases
Meanwhile, as many 3,219 new COVID-19 positive cases reported from different districts of the by midnight of Tuesday. While 1,931 cases were detected in quarantine centres, the remaining 1,288 were local contacts, officials said on Wednesday.
A total of 1,09,780 COVID-19 cases have been reported in Odisha so far. Of them, 80,770 have recovered and 28,443 were active cases undergoing treatment in various COVID hospitals and care centres.
Out of the total number of COVID-10 positive cases detected so far, 567 persons have died – 514 persons due to COVID-19 and remaining 53 of other ailments.
