Ex-servicemen deployed at quarantine centres in Himachal

Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, May 27

With a sharp rise in the number of people in quarantine centres and shelter homes in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial belt, the police are deploying ex-army volunteers as sentries to guard them.

“As many as 9 ex-army men have volunteered to perform such duties, and they have been assigned this work on an experimental basis initially”, informed SP Baddi, Rohit Malpani.  

He said all the safety protocols are being adopted to deploy these people in view of the rising number of such centres and shelter homes in the BBN area. 

The police duties were being overstretched on a daily basis as more such centres are being opened here. 

He said about 20 to 30 policemen have also been deployed at these places on a daily basis.

Notably, there were 32 quarantine centres and one shelter home where 423 people were housed in the BBN. 

This included various government schools, satsang bhawans, private hotels as well as several government buildings. 

The need to create more such centres was being felt in view of the rising number of residents returning.

Notably, people who have returned in trains or by taking lifts from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Pathankot, West Bengal, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, etc, have been housed here. 

They comprise people who have come with permission as well as those who have sneaked in illegally. 

Radha Swami Satsang Bhawan at Kirpalpur and Ramshehar, Gurdwara at Jogo, government senior secondary school (GSSS) Panjhera, IPH rest house at Nalagarh, Girls postgraduate (PG) hostel, Nalagarh, Boys PG Hostel, Nalagarh, GSSS Boys, Nalagarh, GSSS Girls, Nalagarh, MC Rest House, Nalagarh, Gurdwara Baba Jorawar Singh Sahib, Dhabota, GSSS Rajpura, Sant Nirankari Bhawan, Chowiwala, Ruhani  Satsang Kendra, Chowiwala, BBNDA Indoor Stadium, Suncity Road Baddi, GSSS Baddi, Community Centre, Swaraj Majra, GSSS Manipura, Shiwalik Doon Valley Public School, Baddi, Nimantran Resort, Ruhani Kendra Baddi, Barotiwala and Manipura, GSSS Barotiwala, MG Plaza Kalujhinda, Baddi Trade Centre, Hotel Vimal Palace, Primary school, Riwalsar, Government Middle Schools(GMS) Nand and Lunas, GSSS Riwalsar and GSSS Loharghat have been converted into quarantine centres in the BBN.