Punjab Government has decided to weed out COVID-19 by seeking help at grassroot level. To track the nearly 64,000 “missing” NRIs who landed in Punjab in the recent days, and those who attended Holla Mohalla, the State Government has directed the sarpanches or nambardars in villages to provide information.

The sarpanches and nambardars have been asked to provide detailed information of all residents in their respective villages, who would have travelled abroad after March 1 or who would have received relatives from abroad.

That was not all! They have been asked to also find out the number of persons who visited Hola Mohalla festival at Sri Anandpur Sahib, where the Banga-based COVID 19 patient, who died on March 18, had stayed for three days.

Till date, total of 22 corona positive cases, out of 31 reported from Punjab, have been reported which came in contact with 70-year-old Nawanshahr resident Baldev Singh.

“We have asked them to immediately furnish a list of such persons to the government doctors and patwaris in the villages,” a senior government official told The Pioneer.

As many as 94,000 NRIs and foreign returned persons have reportedly landed in Punjab, since March 1. While the government maintains that most of these had been tracked and 30,000 placed under home quarantine, efforts to trace the remaining are being made.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday also maintained that giving highest importance to tracing all international passengers who arrived after March 10, 2020, direction shave been issued that work should continue unbated.

The Chief Minister also directed the Health Department and the Police to ensure further monitoring of those already traced and placed under home quarantine.

For this, the revenue department staff and panchayat staff were being asked to trace such persons.

“This information is very important to curb the spread of corona virus in Punjab. If anyone is found to be hiding this information, the Government can register cases under relevant sections, against such persons,” stated the government official.

The Government has made the nambardars and panchayat members accountable for reporting on all people, living in villages under their jurisdiction.