Nagaland: Over 2,400 people begin their journey home
A passenger looks out of the window in one of the buses in Dimapur. (Morung Photo)
Inter-district movement of stranded citizens start
Morung Express News
Kohima/Dimapur | May 7
The journey home for 2,434 citizens in Nagaland began on May 7, as the first batch of inter-district passengers headed to their home districts. 106 buses were employed into service to facilitate their travel.
The movement will continue till May 9.
Principal Secretary, Home, Abhijit Sinha informed that the entire exercise is being supervised by the Empowered Group headed by the Additional Chief Secretary and Finance Commissioner.
In Kohima, 1,109 stranded persons were transported in 38 buses to their respective districts. 12 buses went to Mon, 5 buses to Tobu (Tuensang), 8 buses to Tuensang, 3 buses to Mokokchung, 3 buses to Wokha and 7 buses to Dimapur.
From Kohima, 311 passengers were transported to Mon via Assam, 209 passengers to Tobu via Tuensang, 250 passengers to Longkhim HQ and Tuensang HQ, 90 passengers to Mokokchung, 76 passengers to Wokha and 173 passengers to Dimapur.
400 private vehicles in the State capital have been issued one way permits to enable the stranded persons to return to their respective districts.
Kohima Additional Deputy Commissioner, Lithrongla Tongpi Rutsa informed that a total of 6,688 persons in Kohima have submitted their names to go to their respective districts.
Alongside the requisitioned buses, 400 passes have been issued to those stranded persons to go to their respective districts in their own vehicles. This is subject to one way traffic permission.
Nagaland Housing & Mechanical Minister, Tongpang Ozükum, who is Minister in- charge of Task Force Kohima district on COVID-19 along with Kohima DC, Gregory Thejawelie and other officials also inspected the facilitation centre at Kohima Local Ground.
In Dimapur, a total of 1,311 people were able to ride back home. Fifty two buses, both state-run NST and private, were pressed into service to ferry the stranded citizens.
The take off point was at the Badminton Stadium, which also acts as the facilitation centre in the district.
Out of the 1,311 persons who managed to get their tickets back home, Mon district recorded the highest number with 310 people evenly distributed in 10 buses.
The government is bearing all the journey expenses of these stranded people.
The exercise will continue for another two days. However, some have expressed apprehension that given the large number of stranded locals in Dimapur waiting to go back to their home districts, the 3-day exercise might not be enough.
Meanwhile 5 buses were pressed into action in Mokokchung. Of this, 3 buses went to Mon, one to Dimapur and one to Tuensang.
A report from the DIPR, Mokokchung informed that pastors of Mokokchung Town Baptist Church (MTBA) reached the NST station and prayed for the passengers for their safe journey. The pastors along with the church workers also handed over lunch packages to all the passengers.
In Kiphire, 44 persons headed to Kohima and Dimapur in four buses. Deputy Commissioner, Sarita Yadav along with her subordinate officers and the SP were present during the departure.
