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Bengaluru, Jun 8: Facing a shortage of labour, some top builders in the city have initiated efforts to bring back the migrant workers, who have returned to their native places following the COVID-19 lockdown, and are holding parleys with Railway authorities for operation of special trains to ferry them.

After the lockdown was announced, many construction projects came to a halt and accordingly the labourers were rendered jobless. These migrant workers preferred to go back to their home state as they were not paid when the projects were stopped and were caught in the big financial mess. Many of these migrants even chose to cover thousands of kilometres by foot when even trains, buses or any motor vehicles were not operating.

Keeping their woes in view, the Centre decided to run the Shramik Special trains to ferry them to their native places. But, after they were gone, the builders found themselves in a lurch. An executive of a builder told PTI "Yes, our builder and a few others are in talks with the Railways to run the special train to bring back the labourers." She said nothing has been materialised as of now.

According to her, the builders took the contact numbers of the workers when they left the city to their home states and are now contacting them one by one. The South Western Railway has so far sent 3.11 lakh migrant workers in 216 Shramik Special trains starting from May 3 to June 6.

Bengaluru, May 24: Karnataka has conducted 2.03 lakh tests across the 57 Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) COVID-19 testing labs till Sunday morning, said the state Minister of Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar.

He informed that the state has doubled the number of tests in just 16 days after clocking 1 lakh tests on May 8.

"After clocking 1 lakh tests on May 8, we have doubled the number of tests in just 16 days. As on this morning, we conducted 2.03 lakh tests across our 57 ICMR COVID-19 testing labs. I congratulate doctors and lab technicians on this achievement," Sudhakar tweeted.

As many as 1,743 people have been detected positive for coronavirus in the state, of which 597 have been cured and discharged and 41 have succumbed to the infection, as per the Union Health Ministry. 

Mumbai, Jun 26: In a humanitarian gesture, a mosque in Bhiwandi town of adjoining Thane district has been converted by its administrators into a temporary COVID-19 facility, where oxygen is provided free of cost to patients.

The facility at Makkah Masjid in the Shanti Nagar area of the powerloom town has been set up by the local chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), Movement for Peace and Justice and the Shanti Nagar Trust, which runs the mosque.

Apart from putting up five beds equipped with oxygen cylinders, the JIH also delivers them for free to patients homes if required, an office-bearer of the JIH said, adding the makeshift facility is open to all communities.

So far, the Bhiwandi-Nizampur municipality has recorded over 1,332 COVID-19 cases and 88 casualties. It has a mortality rate of 5.26 per cent, a release stated.

"Bhiwandi-Nizampur has been hit hard by the pandemic as it is a congested city. It doesn't even have proper health infrastructure.

"The situation has only worsened during the pandemic as general medical practitioners have shut their clinics fearing the virus spread," said Ausaf Ahmed Falahi, president of the JIH's Bhiwandi chapter.

As a majority of people here lack awareness about the viral disease and are unable to afford treatment, a facility like this one was the need of the hour, he said.

Over 70 persons have benefited from this facility, which has two doctors, while 15 oxygen cylinders have been delivered to the homes of eight COVID-19 patients, Falahi said.

People irrespective of their religion have been availing treatment at the mosque, he added.

"Makkah Masjid has been shut for prayers since the lockdown. So, we decided to use a part of the premises to help those who can't avail treatment elsewhere," said Qaiser Mirza of the Shanti Nagar Trust.