Centre assures full support for evacuating J-K residents stranded abroad

The Centre has assured the Jammu and Kashmir administration of full support in evacuating the union territory residents stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown, an official spokesman said on Thursday. A repatriation flight for the J and K residents from Muscat to Srinagar has been scheduled on June 2, he said.

It was conveyed to the J and K administration by the Ministry of External Affairs in response to Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam's request for prioritising evacuation of the UT residents stranded in Oman, Dubai and Iran, the spokesman said. The ministry, in a communique received on Wednesday, has conveyed that the Centre is seized of the matter that 24 J and K pilgrims are currently stranded in Iran and efforts are being made to facilitate their early return, he said.  "Our Mission in Muscat is in touch with Indian nationals in Oman and we have tentatively scheduled a repatriation flight from Muscat to Srinagar on 2 June 2020," the spokesman quoted the ministry as saying. The communique further said the ministry has already arranged a repatriation flight from Dubai to Srinagar evacuating 155 passengers, including four infants. Besides, the Centre had earlier facilitated the return of students and pilgrims from Iran, he said.

The external affairs ministry has assured the Jammu and Kashmir government of all possible assistance in facilitating the early return of J and K residents stranded abroad, the spokesman said..

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