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Officials verify the documents of Indian citizens who have arrived from Dubai on an Air India flight to Anna Internat …read more
NEW DELHI: about 3,500 Indians stranded abroad had been transferred to India until early Sunday morning as India Vande Bharat The mission advanced under what official sources described as regular high-level supervision. While eight flights landed in India on Saturday, day 3 of the operation, an equal number was expected on Sunday.
Prime Minister P K Mishra’s chief secretary held a meeting on Saturday with senior government officials to review the situation, sources said here. The meeting was attended by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Secretary for Foreign Affairs Hard shringla, Union Home Secretary, Ajay Bhalla, and Civil Aviation Secretary, P S Kharola.
Official sources said the operation had so far gone smoothly with officials tracking every flight from departure to destination and beyond. “All states have organized very efficient reception and health scanning facilities prior to quarantine. Great relief for many to be back home, “said one source.
An additional 1,800-2,000 people were brought back by two Indian naval ships from the Maldives.
Five of the flights that returned on Saturday with Indian citizens were from the Gulf region. Four more from the Gulf are slated for Sunday. In addition to the Gulf, weekend repatriation flights have been mainly from London, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Dhaka. The government seeks to expand the Mission to Europe and Central Asian countries next week, as many Indians have registered to return.
The government is using an online platform created by MEA, which uploads requests received by Indian missions from those who wish to return, to ensure better coordination between Union ministries and states. However, the platform has not been made accessible to everyone due to privacy concerns.
A total of 64 flights with approximately 15,000 returnees from 12 countries will land at 14 airports in India during the first week of the Mission.
While two Indians who landed in Kerala on separate flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi tested positive for Covid-19, sources here said that all UAE passengers had to undergo rapid antibody tests prior to departure. Only those who were asymptomatic were allowed to board planes.
Of all the flights in the first week, up to 27 will be from the Gulf. Eleven of these from the United Arab Emirates. From the neighborhood, seven flights are scheduled from Bangladesh.
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