india

Updated: Apr 24, 2020 13:15 IST

The Odisha government has reported that 19 truck drivers, who were staying in a coronavirus disease (Covid-19) quarantine centre in Rayagada district, escaped through a window on April 22 late night.

The drivers belong to Uttar Pradesh and Punjab and were housed in a quarantine centre at a school in Kereda gram panchayat on Andhra Pradesh -Odisha border since March 30. They were staying at the quarantine centre after the ongoing nationwide lockdown restrictions were initially enforced for 21 days from March 25 and then further extended for another 19 days till May 3 to prevent the spread of Covid-19 outbreak.

The drivers’ quarantine period got over on April 14, but they were asked to stay put there, as inter-state transport had stopped because of the ongoing lockdown restrictions.

“They were being given food and accommodation. The room had an uninterrupted power supply. However, they escaped late on April 22 night through one of the windows. We came to know the following morning that they broke open a window and beat a hasty retreat,” said Vivek Saravana, superintendent of police (SP), Rayagada district. A case has been filed against the absconding drivers at the district’s Sheskhal police station.

The quarantine centre is located close to the railway track on the east coast that goes up to Visakhapatnam in AP. The police suspect that the drivers may have escaped along the railway track.

Around 30 migrant labourers, including 15 women and five children, were also found walking along a railway track in Telangana two days ago in a bid to avoid police patrol at an interdistrict check post.

The drivers’ escape has come as a fresh headache for the state government, which is planning to quarantine about 7.5 lakh migrant workers who are slated to return home after the lockdown restrictions are lifted on May 3.

The government has started a web-based registration facility in which each of the migrants or someone on their behalf would have to register with the necessary details, which will enable them to stay at official quarantine centres that are being set up across over 100 urban local bodies and 7,000 gram panchayats.

The government also plans to stamp each of the quarantined people with a spot of indelible ink that is used during elections. Preparations are on to provide adequate food, water, and sanitation facilities at these quarantine facilities.