Manipur: 10,000 Migrants Stranded in West Imphal Provided with Essential Commodities amid Lockdown

Imphal, April 13, 2020:

More than 10,000 migrant workers who are stranded in West Imphal district of Manipur amid the ongoing lockdown that will hit its deadline tomorrow, have been provided with ration by the district administration.

The Imphal West District Administration has provided 10,360 verified stranded migrant population with rations such as rice, dal, salt and cooking oil on April 12, 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown that has brought life in the busy capital to a screeching halt.

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It is pertinent to mention here that the migrant workers are mostly engaged as daily wage earners, barbers, rickshaw-pullers, among others. They were stranded in the district after the lockdown was hastily called to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, the seventh to have affected humans.

In the Manipur district, 1,285 workers have also been given shelter and food by the employers and industries where they are currently working, we have been informed.

Helping the Imphal West District Administration towards providing assistance are more than 200 employees of the district administration and volunteers from Red Cross, NYK, among others. All these organizations and NGOs are working to ensure that these hand-to-mouth labourers do not go hungry in the midst of the economic crisis that has accompanied the lockdown.

Meanwhile, free ration is also being provided to childrens homes, old age homes, and rehabilitation centres.

It may be also be mentioned that the district administration provided assistance to a total of 18824 households and 3402.60 quintals of rice under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) on April 12 last. Under the Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS), 195.75 quintals of rice was also provided to 2,123 households in the same district.

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