Odisha IT Secy Unravels “Operation Suvyatra”

Bhubaneswar: A day after 1200 Odia migrant labourers from Kerala have left for their home, Odisha Information Technology Secretary Manoj Mishra termed it as the successfully model named “Operation Suvyatra.”

Unraveling the details of Operation Suvyayra in a press briefing, Mishra said, the model was worked out with the Kerala government to facilitate return of stranded Odias there with “dignity and convenience”.

Mishra gave detailed outline of how the departure of first train from Ernakulum for Odisha carrying 1,150 passengers was planned meticulously.

The train which left Ernakulum Friday is on its journey and will be arriving at Khurda Road early morning on May 3.

With close coordination with the Kerala government, as many as twelve teams comprising officials from Revenue, Health, Police and other departments of the Kerala government were constituted. These officials spoke to stranded Odias and a list was prepared based on the priority and urgency of the people. All the details about the passengers have been recorded, said Mishra.

Each one of them was medically tested and medical certificate was given to them before leaving Kerala, he added.

Then these identified 1150 persons were brought to the railway station through buses from different places while maintaining social distancing norms.

While validating the data provided by the Kerala Government, we found that all have registered themselves,” informed Mishra.

These 1150 persons hail from 23 out of 30 districts of Odisha and the maximum number 382 are belonging to Kandhamal district followed by 283 from Kendrapara district, 130 from Ganjam district, 98 from Bhadrak district and 88 from Keonjhar district, he added.

Misheard further revealed that a system has been developed in the State with Home Secretary Sanjeev Chopra as the nodal officer-rail movement for return of migrant Odias, and under him all wings are working which include people from the Health, Disaster Management, Transport departments, district collectors and Police.”

All the detail of the passengers have been shared with the concerned district collector, who are subsequent hire bus or any mode if transportation to take them to their respective gram panchayat quarantine centre.
He said that the train was originally scheduled to end its journey at Bhubaneswar but after studying the passenger profile they told the railways that these passengers would be received at two stations-Jagannathpur (near Berhampur) and Khurda Road.

Person’s belonging to Southern district Kandhamal, Ganjam, Malkangiri, etc. will got down at Jagannathpur station and others at Khurda Road station, he added.

He added that mapping of persons on board the train, which panchayat they will be heading and where they will be quarantined has been complete.
He however made it very clear that , other than government officials and railway officials non will be allowed near Railway Station.

It is a model on how to bring back the migrant labourers on train. The sane model has been share it to others states as well, Mishra informed.

As a mark of tribute to labourers on the occasion of International Labour Day on May 1, six trains have been started by railways and Odisha ensured a train for its own people.