Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh), Sep 10 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said around 200 Telugu people are stranded in riot-hit Nepal, and that Minister Nara Lokesh has been entrusted with monitoring real-time developments.
Addressing the ‘Super Six Super Hit’ meeting here, Naidu said it is the state government’s duty to respond when Telugu people are in difficult times.
“There are protests happening in Nepal, and around 200 Telugu people are stuck there; I have instructed the HRD Minister Nara Lokesh to monitor the situation in real-time governance. This is our duty to respond and stand with our people in these difficult times,” Naidu said.
Minister Lokesh on Wednesday coordinated efforts to evacuate nearly 217 Telugu-speaking people stranded across 12 locations in Nepal.
The minister said that in the first phase, 22 people from Hetauda were shifted with military support to the Bihar border town of Motihari, from where arrangements have been made to bring them to Andhra Pradesh.
“Efforts have been made since morning to evacuate Telugu people stranded in Nepal. Arrangements have been made to safely bring back 217 people stranded across 12 locations in Nepal,” said Lokesh, addressing a press conference.
The Andhra Pradesh government is in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu and all Telugu people will be brought back safely, he said.
According to the minister, of the 217 people, 173 are sheltering in hotels around Kathmandu, 22 in Hetauda, 10 in Pokhara and 12 in Simikot regions in Nepal.
He further said that a special flight from Delhi will reach Kathmandu on Thursday morning to transport those in the capital city to Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.
Lokesh said 12 people in Simikot would be moved to Nepalgunj by flight or helicopters, while efforts are on to shift 10 others from Pokhara by chartered flight, subject to approval from Nepal authorities.
“I have been speaking to people through video calls every few hours, assuring them of safety and urging them not to panic,” he added.
The AP government has set up an Emergency Cell at Andhra Bhavan in New Delhi to assist Telugu-speaking citizens stranded in Nepal, which is witnessing civil unrest.
Andhra Pradesh Bhavan Commissioner Arja Srikanth said CM Naidu asked Union Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu and officials of Andhra Bhavan to extend all possible support.
“In view of the ongoing unrest in Nepal, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has set up an Emergency Cell at AP Bhavan, New Delhi, to provide immediate support and ensure the safety of Telugu citizens currently stranded in Nepal,” said Srikanth in a press release issued late on Tuesday.
According to Srikanth, the Embassy of India in Kathmandu in Nepal, has assured complete cooperation, and around 30 Telugu people in Bafal, Kathmandu, are currently being assisted with food, accommodation, and medical aid.
The Commissioner said that an official has been designated as the emergency nodal officer at AP Bhavan.
He noted that the TDP-led government is in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to monitor the situation and safeguard Telugu people.
A few Telugu families staying at a hotel in Kathmandu were shifted to a nearby guest house after reports of agitators gathering outside and threatening arson, he added.
The Emergency Cell is functioning round-the-clock, coordinating with the embassy and local representatives to ensure the safety and welfare of Telugu people in Nepal, the release added. PTI MS GDK KH
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