Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, May 5: Kannadigas living across the gulf countries expressed displeasure as no flights from any of the Middle Eastern countries are scheduled to take off in the first list issued by the government of India to bring back stranded Indians from abroad. Flights are expected to operate from other European, US and South East Asian countries from May 6.

Praveen Shetty, president of Karnataka NRI association, expressed his anger and held Karnataka government responsible for lethargy in taking care of its NRIs from Gulf region during this pandemic situation. Earlier, it was Karnataka government who agreed to evacuate its citizens from abroad including gulf. Since there are a huge number of Kannadigas living in gulf regions, Karnataka government had asked residents those who want to return home to register their names.

Representational image

According to Praveen Shetty, 117 pregnant women, 200 plus people who are above 60 years old and sick have already registered apart from other residents. “I have once again requested Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa, union minister Sadanada Gowda and state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel to look into the matter and include Kannadigas who want to return immediately in the first list.”

According to the official list, 64 flights are scheduled from Europe, USA, Gulf, UK, and Far East to 10 Indian states including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Delhi, Punjab, Telangana, Gujarat and others. There are three flights scheduled for Bengaluru are from United Kingdom, USA and Singapore each.

According to data released by KNRI there are nearly 2,000 UAE residents applied for immediate return which includes 522 people who lost job, 377 on visit visa, 157 who needs urgent medical attention, 121 pregnant, 30 students and others.

Daijiworld is trying to reach officials in Bengaluru as well as Foreign Affairs Ministry in Delhi to put pressure and include flights to gulf to Bengaluru and Mangaluru.

Coronavirus rescue: India to operate 64 flights, bring home 14,000 Indians

India will operate 64 flights to bring back 14,000 stranded Indians from abroad. Majority of these flights are expected to be operated by Air India, while so me might also be flown by private airlines and the IAF.

Further details about the plan will be provided by the Ministry of Civil Aviation later on Tuesday.

Accordingly, a massive rescue plan will be implemented on May 7, whereby, Air India and others will operate 64 flights over a period of 7-days to various airports in the Gulf, Europe and the United States.

As per the MEA's "Flight Plan for Return of Indian Nationals Stranded Abroad" dated May 4, the exercise will encompass flights to the US in the West to Philippines in the East.

These flights will bring Indians back from designated airports such as Chicago or New York to New Delhi or Mumbai.

"Medical screening of passengers would be done before taking the flight. Only asymptomatic passengers would be allowed to travel. During the journey, all these passengers would have to follow the protocols, such as the Health Protocols, issued by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Civil Aviation," an official statement had said on Monday.

"On reaching the destination, everyone would have to register on the Aarogya Setu app. Everyone would be medically screened. After scrutiny, they would be quarantined for 14 days, either in a hospital or in an institutional quarantine on payment-basis, by the concerned State government. COVID te st would be done after 14 days and further action would be taken according t o health protocols."

Significantly, despite its precarious financial position, the national passenger carrier has emerged as one of the few airlines in the world that have evacuated more than 9,000 passengers during the Covid-19 crisis.

The airline till date has carried out massive flight operations to China, Japan and Europe to bring back stranded Indians, mostly students and pilgrims.

Besides, the airline has been instrumental in repatriating foreigners to Israel, UK and Germany.

Furthermore, Air India and its subsidiary Alliance Air has reached every corner of the country to supply essential medical equipment.