The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has identified 20 stations across the zone for placement of COVID care centres.
NFR CPRO Subhanan Chanda said the Ministry of Railways has converted 5,231 coaches into COVID care centres.
“These coaches can be used in areas where the State needs to augment capacities for isolation of both suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Indian Railways has kept 158 stations ready with watering and charging facilities and 58 stations with watering facility for these COVID Care centres,” Assam Tribune quoted Chanda as saying.
He said that in the NFR zone, these coaches are ready for placement at 20 stations – Guwahati, Kamakhya, Dibrugarh, New Bongaigaon, Rangiya, Silchar, New Tinsukia, Rangapara North, Lumding, Mariani, Murkongselek, Agartala, Alipurduar Junction, Ambasa, Badarpur, Katihar, New Cooch Behar, New Jalpaiguri, New Alipurduar and Siliguri – as and when such requests are received.
“The guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) regarding the use of such coaches will be strictly followed by both the Railways and the concerned State government authorities,” Chanda added.
As per the MoHFW guidelines, the state governments will have to send the requisition to the Railways.
“The Railways will make the allocation of these coaches to the concerned state or Union Territory. After allocation by the Railways, the train, with a number of such coaches, shall be placed at the required station with necessary infrastructure and handed over to the District Collector or District Magistrate or any person authorised by them. Wherever the train is placed, watering, electricity, repairs, catering arrangements and security shall be taken care by the Railways,” he further said.