Stranded people will be allowed to move in locked down Indian states

Migrant workers, tourists, students and other people stuck in different parts of India, were allowed to move to their respective destinations with certain conditions as of today.

The order comes as a huge sigh of relief for thousands of workers, students and tourists who were stuck across India due to the lockdown imposed on March 25 and one which has been now extended up to May 3, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Indian Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in an order to all states and federally-ruled territories said "due to lockdown, migrant workers, pilgrims, tourists, students and other people are stranded at different places. They will be allowed to move."

He said buses will be used for transporting people and the vehicles will be sanitised. People have been instructed to follow social distancing norms during seating.

Listing the conditions for their movement, the ministry said all states and union territories should designate nodal authorities and develop standard protocols for receiving and sending people.

In case a group of stranded people wish to move between one state and union territory and another state and union territory, the sending and receiving states may consult each other and mutually agree to the movement by road.

The people who will be moving will be screened and those found asymptomatic will be allowed to proceed, reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting the home ministry

On arrival at their destination, people will be assessed by local health authorities, and kept in home quarantine, unless the assessment requires keeping the people in institutional quarantine, the order said.

They will be kept under watch with periodic health check-ups, the order added.