The Malda district administration’s decision to send 225 people — migrant workers, their families and some pilgrims — to home quarantine at their villages, instead of quarantine centres, has drawn criticism from different quarters.

These people had returned from Rajasthan. On Tuesday night, they arrived in Dankuni by a special train and then took buses to reach Malda.

Along with them, another 54 have returned to North Dinajpur district.

Sources in the Malda district administration admitted that they couldn’t simply take all those people to the quarantine centres unless they showed Covid-19 symptoms.

This is because there are around 3,000 beds at the quarantine centres in the district while around 35,000 migrant workers from Malda are stuck in other states. Many of them are likely to return in the special trains.

As the group reached the bus terminus in Malda on Wednesday morning, they were screened and their swab samples collected for tests. They were then asked to leave for their homes. Most of them are from Harishchandrapur I block, said sources.

“We cannot keep them at the quarantine centres as there are only 22 rooms at the two quarantine centres opened at the district headquarters. Also, it would take some time to get the test reports. That is why they have been advised to be in home quarantine and if any of them is tested positive, he and his family would be put in a quarantine centre,” said an official of the district administration.

The decision has left residents irate.

“We welcome the decision to get the migrant workers back homes. But they should be kept at the quarantine centres for 14 days and then, they should be allowed to enter their homes. Otherwise, population of the entire village would be susceptible to the infection. Also, we really don’t know whether all these people, including children, will adhere to the direction of home quarantine,” said Chandranath Roy, a trader based in Harishchandrapur.

If any of them is found to be positive, it would further trigger panic in the area concerned, he said.

Political leaders like CPM district secretary Ambar Mitra and BJP district president Gobinda Mondal have also raised questions on the issue.

“In total, there are 33 institutional quarantine centres in Malda which have a capacity of 3,025 beds. We fail to understand why these people were sent in their homes when only 22 of them have returned. It is a wrong move which can have serious consequences,” said Mondal.