New Delhi, March 2 Amid escalating West Asia tensions, the Centre on Monday said it is in touch with Indian missions in the Gulf region to ensure the safe return of stranded Indian nationals, as state governments across the country stepped up efforts to assist residents.
The civil aviation ministry on Monday evening stated that IndiGo plans to operate 10 special relief flights from Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) to various Indian cities on March 3, to facilitate the return of stranded passengers, subject to required approvals and prevailing airspace conditions. IndiGo is coordinating with the Consulate General of India at Jeddah for passenger facilitation.
Flights from Jeddah will be operated to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, and Ahmedabad.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), which met last evening under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has expressed concern over the safety and security of the large Indian expatriate community in the Gulf nations. The CCS has also directed all concerned departments to take necessary and feasible measures to assist Indian nationals affected by the developments.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Monday that the Centre is fully prepared to bring back Indians stranded in the Gulf region and is in touch with Indian missions abroad to ensure their safety. In a statement, Joshi said discussions have been held with senior officials of the concerned embassies to facilitate the safe return of those affected by the war situation. "Whenever Kannadigas and other Indians face distress anywhere in the world, the Central Government has ensured their safe return. Earlier, we brought back those stranded in Ukraine. Wherever Indians are, their safety remains our first priority," he said.
In Maharashtra, officials said hundreds of people from the state are stranded in the Gulf nations due to airspace closure. Kalyan Kale, a Congress MP representing Jalna, was among those stranded in Dubai, having gone there on Friday, just before the joint US-Israel strike on Iran. Nine other tourists from Jalna are also stranded in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
As many as 84 students and four professors from Indira Institute of School of Business in Pimpri Chinchvad in Pune are stuck in Dubai after reaching the Gulf to attend the 'Global Immersion Programme', an official said. A Pune official said the administration has received information about 123 persons from the district being stuck in Dubai. Sources said 300 people from Pune district, who had gone to Dubai through a health insurance firm on February 26, are also stuck, though officials said they do not have information in this regard.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate evacuation preparedness, enhance diplomatic outreach and establish an inter-ministerial mechanism to protect Kannadigas and other Indians stuck in the region due to disruption of flight operations to and from West Asia after the US and Israel's attack on Iran.
In a letter to PM Modi, Siddaramaiah said a large number of Kannadigas and other Indian nationals have been stranded, particularly in major transit hubs such as the UAE, including Dubai. The chief minister said the Karnataka government has activated the State Emergency Operations Centre and all District Emergency Operations Centres to function round-the-clock. As many as 109 people from Karnataka are stranded in the war-ravaged West Asia, his office said in a statement. Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said the Karnataka government is making efforts to bring back those stranded in the Gulf. "We have taken up this matter with the central government and sought their intervention," the minister said.
In Andhra Pradesh, NRI Empowerment and Relations Minister K Srinivas said the state government is taking urgent measures to safely bring back Telugu citizens stranded in the Gulf region. The minister called on Telugu expatriates in the Gulf to make use of the helplines launched for their assistance. "As Telugu people are facing hardships at some airports, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and I are regularly monitoring the situation," he said.
Noting that the government has alerted Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS) coordinators in the Gulf region to help Telugu people in distress, Srinivas said efforts are on to provide temporary accommodation, security and help in the homes of local Telugu people. The APNRTS has advised Telugu expats to travel to Muscat in Oman for repatriation flights to Kochi and return to India. Ravi Kumar P Vemuru, president of APNRTS, told