1.26 lakh Tamils residing outside State register with govt. to return home

1.18 lakh people have expressed their intention to leave Tamil Nadu

04/05/2020,DENNIS S. JESUDASANCHENNAI

As of Sunday morning, over 1.26 lakh Tamils currently residing or stranded in other States and countries have registered themselves with the Tamil Nadu government, requesting the authorities to facilitate their return in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Separately, over 1.18 lakh people currently residing in T.N. have expressed their intention to leave for their native States.

As of 9 a.m. on Sunday, 45,505 requests were made for the return of 52,100 persons from various countries to Tamil Nadu, a senior official told The Hindu. Another 13,839 registrations were made for the return of 74,890 persons living or stranded in other States, an official source said.

As for natives of other States intending to leave Tamil Nadu, 25,302 registrations were made for 1,18,504 persons.

However, a senior official said the State government was hopeful that the number of people intending to leave Tamil Nadu would come down once industries resume operations. “We are not for the exchange of workers, since many of them want to leave only because they don’t have work here and are not earning. From Monday, many industries are set to commence operations and, hopefully, there will be a drop [in the number of people looking to return home],” the official said.

Another official pointed out that workers were crucial to kick-starting the economy. “What is the point of allowing industries [to operate] if there are no workers? Many migrant workers will naturally stay put if the industries resume operations,” he argued.

Officials also explained that the process of returning home from a State or a foreign country would be long. “It is not as if one can reach home after getting here by an aircraft or a train. A medical check-up and quarantine will follow soon after,” an official said. But the return of students, tourists and pilgrims was inevitable, he added.

The government has requested those abroad to register themselves on the portal nonresidenttamil.org if they intend to return to Tamil Nadu, so that estimates regarding medical check-ups and quarantine facilities could be made.

For persons hailing from other States who wish to leave Tamil Nadu, registrations can be made on the portal rtos.nonresidenttamil.org, the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority said on Sunday.

Natives of Tamil Nadu who are currently in other States and wish to return have also been asked to register themselves on the same portal. Those who intend to return or leave in their own vehicles can request passes while registering themselves.