New Delhi: A day after ThePrint reported on the irregularities at the village school isolation centre in Pimpri-Shadipur village of Sitapur district, Uttar Pradesh, the district administration has taken strong cognisance of the situation.
On Thursday night, Sitapur district magistrate Akhilesh Tiwari ordered the suspension of the panchayat secretary and the village lekhpal (a panchayat staff) along with the registration of an FIR against Pimpri-Shadipur village pradhan Omprakash Verma for “severe negligence at the isolation centre”.
The district magistrate has also issued an adverse entry against the block development officer, the tehsildar and the hospital superintendent of the community health centre.
He has further written to the state government recommending strong action sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Maholi under which the village falls.
Administration conducts surprise raid
The action is the result of a surprise check conducted by a team of the district magistrate, other administrative and police officials at 10 pm Thursday.
Tiwari told ThePrint that upon reaching the village, the team found that none of the 20 migrant labourers who were supposed to be quarantined were present at the isolation centre. Police then rounded up the 20 men and the village pradhan Verma.
“Despite repeated complaints, when we reached the spot last night there was severe negligence observed by these officials in the times of national calamity,” Tiwari said. “The lekhpal was summoned and he was nowhere to be found after which the action was taken against him and the pradhan.”
He added that the migrant labourers were released from the quarantine centre by the CHC superintendent who had violated norms.
“The migrant labourers had completed their 14 days of isolation. But the community health centre in charge ordered the pradhan to let them go to their homes without any medical checkup,” the district magistrate said. “Strong action will be taken against him too.”
The district magistrate also corroborated the irregularities mentioned in ThePrint report. He said there were cylinders and ration but they were locked in the school premises and no food arrangements were made for the migrant labours being kept there.
Also read: Lockdown may contain Covid-19, but it can’t curb the virus of Islamophobia in India
20 men, 1 bucket and a Dettol soap cut in two
The men had all returned to the village from Delhi, Mumbai and Haryana after the lockdown was imposed on 24 March. Their ordeal of walking home from the metropolises was compounded by the conditions at the facility, where there was no food, barely any accommodation and little or no sanitation. They had also been left to fend for themselves as there is no staff here.
Some of the men had told ThePrint that they had to contend with just one bathroom, a bucket and a “small Dettol soap” that had been cut into two. They had also had to arrange food from home.
Sahibaan, 18, one of the men isolated at the centre, told ThePrint Friday that the situation has drastically changed since the surprise check on Thursday night.
“The village pradhan had asked us to leave the school yesterday and stay in our homes but the DM sir called all of us last night and assured us that adequate arrangements will be made, including for medical checkup today,” Sahibaan said.
“Not only the school but the whole village has been cleaned. There are dozens of sanitary workers in our village today,” Sahibaan added.
Also read: How the humble hydroxychloroquine has become India’s unlikely new global strategic asset