The Tripura government on Monday requested its counterpart in Punjab to provide logistics and food to 12 students from the State who were asked to vacate their hostels in Punjab.
The Tripura government swung into action after a student in a tweet made an appeal to Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.
Shubhanjan Das, one of the students, said that 12 students, including a few girl students, were asked to vacate their hostels in Punjab in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the State. Their flight to Delhi was scheduled for March 25. But with domestic flights set to cease operations from March 24, the journey seemed uncertain, he said.
In his reply, Mr. Deb asked them not to panic. “We will definitely bring you and your friends to Tripura from Punjab. Stay calm and safe,” he tweeted.
Sanjay Mishra, OSD to the Tripura Chief Minister, said that senior State government officials have spoken to the officials in Punjab and have made requests to accommodate the students in a safe place, and provide them with food and essentials.
Meanwhile, the Tripura government has decided to rotate the presence of employees from non-essential services in government offices to minimise their strength to 50% amid the outbreak. A meeting chaired by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb also decided to reduce public transport to 50%.
The decisions were taken to maintain social distancing which was essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19, an official said.
