In Chhattisgarh, the state government has decided to extend the lockdown in hotspot areas till August 6 following a surge in COVID-19 cases. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel yesterday.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey said that in view of the spurt in COVID-19 cases in several major cities like Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur, a decision has been taken to extend the week-long lockdown enforced in these areas till August 6th.

All the district collectors have been instructed to continue the lockdown after reviewing the situation. District collectors have been instructed to ensure strict compliance with lockdown rules in corona virus hotspots and take effective steps to check the spread of the infection. Lockdown has been imposed in most parts of Chhattisgarh since July 22nd.

In Chhattisgarh, committees will be set up in every village to monitor the migrant laborers who returned home after completing the quarantine period. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has recently instructed the collectors in this regard through video conferencing. Village committees will comprise of government staff and local people of the village. 

Migrant laborers returning home will be advised to stay in their homes for the next fourteen days and also keep a safe distance from their family members. Random tests of such people will also be conducted from time to time.

Apart from this, in districts where there are industrial areas, it will be ensured that if workers are being brought from other states in any industry, then it must be informed to the district administration. Criminal cases will be registered against those industries which will not inform the administration about the workers coming from other states.

As many as 3,75,000 migrant laborers and other persons have returned to Chhattisgarh from different states so far. These workers were stranded in various parts of the country due to the lockdown. More than one lakh workers returned by 78 Shramik Special Trains.

These migrant labourers are being given employment under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme -MGNREGS in rural areas. It is being ensured to provide employment to those migrant labourers who have not made job cards under MGNREGA. These migrant labourers are also being given free ration.