Over 60,000 people who had migrated elsewhere have returned to their villages across the State in the past few weeks, as per the data collected by the task force established at the gram panchayat level. It has also identified 15,799 persons in rural areas as being in home isolation.
As many as 61,143 migrants have returned to their villages, said a note from the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department, which has set up the task force. The task force has been set up by the State to help the rural population, especially those returning to their villages.
These migrant workers were among those who left cities in anticipation of the lockdown snatching away their livelihood. Of those returning to their villages, nearly 10,500 have been issued job cards under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The data was updated till Saturday.
More than 55,000 people were provided with vehicle facilities when they went for vaccination, and 5,590 call centres/help desks have been established at the gram panchayat level to help, the note said. The task force has identified over 35 lakh persons between the ages 45 and 60 who have taken a single dose of COVID-19 vaccination, and 5.54 lakh persons who have taken both doses.
Helping the poor
The task force has deployed over 24,000 trained ‘Corona Warriors’. It has also identified one lakh extremely poor persons in need of help, of whom 34,000 have received help. As many as 43,523 persons have received ration through the Public Distribution System via the task force.
Meanwhile, RDPR Minister K.S. Eshwarappa has urged the rural local bodies to popularise vaccination in rural areas and adhere to the guidelines issued by the Centre and the State to manage the pandemic. He has urged them to take the leadership role in handling the situation by identifying symptomatic patients, testing them, and quarantining them with treatment.
In separate letters to the zilla panchayat presidents and chief executive officers, taluk panchayat chairmen and executive officers, gram panchayat presidents, and panchayat development officers, the Minister has urged them to take the help of the task force in increasing awareness on wearing mask, sanitising hands, and maintaining social distancing.
