The Centre on Sunday asked state governments and Union Territory administrations to effectively seal state and district borders to stop movements of migrant workers during lockdown, officials said.
During a video conference with Chief Secretaries and DGPs, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba and Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla asked them to ensure that there is no movement of people across cities or on highways as the lockdown continues.
"There has been movement of migrant workers in some parts of the country. Directions were issued that district and state borders should be effectively sealed," a government official said.
States were directed to ensure there is no movement of people across cities or on highways; only the movement of goods should be allowed.
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District Magistrates and SPs should be made personally responsible for the implementation of these directions, the official said.
Adequate arrangements for food and shelter of poor and needy people including migrant labourers be made at the place of their work, the official added.
Later, at a press conference, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Punya Salila Srivastava said those migrant workers who have violated the lockdown and travelled during the curb will be put in 14 days quarantine at their destinations.
The Union Home Ministry issued an order in this regard on Sunday afternoon, saying "the migrant people, who have moved out to reach their home states/ home towns, must be kept in the nearest shelter by the respective state/Union Territory government quarantine facilities after proper screening for a minimum period of 14 days as per standard health protocol".
