To ensure safe and expeditious repatriation of students and residents of Andhra Pradesh stranded in Ukraine, the State government has nominated its representatives to four countries bordering Ukraine – Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, from where Indians are being evacuated by the Ministry of External Affairs via international flights.
According to a G.O. issued on Wednesday, Adviser to the Government (NRT affairs) and president of AP Non-Resident Telugu Society Medapati S. Venkat has been nominated as the State representative to coordinate the ongoing evacuation process in Hungary, government’s Special Representative for Europe Ravindra Reddy for Poland, Deputy Adviser to the State government on NRT affairs Chandrahasa Reddy for Romania, and Special Representative at NATA Pandugayala Ratnakar for Slovakia.
Earlier, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has asked the officials coordinating the evacuation of students from Andhra Pradesh to send a team for effective coordination, and to expedite the process.
Meanwhile, reports of the Russian forces pounding new areas have escalated tension among parents of the students who are trapped in different parts of Ukraine. To pacify their fears and to give them courage to face the trying moments bravely, local tahsildars have been assigned the job of visiting the families of the students, based on the lists acquired by the control rooms.
According to the information given by the officials at the AP Bhavan in New Delhi coordinating the evacuation process with the Ministry of External Affairs, 80 students have been brought back safely so far in batches that arrived at Delhi and Mumbai airports.
TDP plea to MEA
Telugu Desam Party MP Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar on Wednesday met Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs Sanjay Varma and requested him to increase the number of flights to evacuate trapped Indians in Ukraine.
In a representation submitted to him, Mr. Ravindra Kumar said since Telugu students/people comprised a big chunk of the Ukraine returnees, the Centre should consider operating flights till Hyderbaad, Tirupati, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
Citing latest development where it was reported that about 178 students had arrived at Nyugati station in Hungary and a Hungarian team was providing them with food and taking care of them, the MP said keeping in view the alarming situation in Ukraine, the government should make all-out efforts to ensure safe passage of the 1,500 Telugu students, along with fellow Indians stranded at various border points of Ukraine.
