Fourth phase of Vande Bharat Mission to begin from July 3

The fourth phase of Vande Bharat Mission has been firmed up from July 3 and will focus on countries where a large number of Indians have registered to return.

The fourth phase of Vande Bharat Mission has been firmed up from July 3 and will focus on countries where a large number of Indians have registered to return. "Phase four of Vande Bharat Mission has been firmed up with effect from July 3. Phase four will particularly focus on countries where we still have a large number of Indians who have registered to return," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday at the weekly media briefing.

He said that more than 700 flights have reached India under the mission repatriating around 1.50 lakh Indians have been repatriated. "The remaining 175 flights under Phase 3 of Vande Bharat are expected to reach in the coming days. These Vande Bharat mission flights have been instrumental in addressing the immediate requirement of stranded Indians. We are committed to repatriating the Indians particularly in the GCC countries -- Malaysia, Singapore among other places," he said.

Srivastava said chartered flight operations, which commenced on May 26, have steadily increased over the past weeks and they have also brought back seafarers and crews of shipping companies stranded in various places. "Till date, 130061 persons have returned on these flights. Demand for these flights remains very high, especially in the Gulf region. Therefore, we are moving to further streamline the process," he said.

He also said that more than 84,000 Indians have returned to India through land border immigration checkpoints in Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. (ANI)