Police have detained around 500 migrant workers at different places under the Raiganj and Itahar police stations along National Highway- 34 in the last 24 hours.

The workers have been lodged in transit centres, while they will be allowed to go to their villages after a health screening, where they will be asked to remain under ‘home quarantine.’

The migrant workers had reached the district from various other places in the state in bicycles or on foot. On the other hand, district police officials have expressed concern over the trend of hundreds of migrant workers returning to different villages in Raiganj through “secretly.”

Police, however, said that they have started work to trace such migrant workers headed for the villages. “Every day, a huge number of migrant workers are entering different villages in Raiganj, Hemtabad, Kaliyaganj and Itahar. Most of them are coming in from Bihar.

They are travelling in vehicles, riding bicycles and even walking to the district. We have already introduced strong Naka checks near the Indo-Bangladesh border and the Bihar state border. Yet some of them are taking secret routes. We have detained around 500 such migrant workers in the last 24 hours and kept them in the transit point.

They will be sent to their respective places for quarantine after screening. Meanwhile, after detection of three Covid patients in Raiganj and Hemtabad, the authorities of the Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, following instructions from the Chief Minister, has initiated a move to set up Covid test units in the Raiganj Medical College.

“The authorities have started installing the equipment and machines for swab testing since morning today. Samples of throat swabs are presently sent either to the Malda Medical College or the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for Covid tests.

“As such, the reports were delayed. After the functioning of the Covid test centre at the Raiganj Medical College and Hospital, health officials will have prompt access to the test results,” sources said.

The Vice Principal of the RMCH, Dr Trinagkur Roy, said, “With directives from state health officials, work on installing Covid testing machines has started in our medical college. Covid tests will start here very soon.”