Following the directions of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who is camping in Delhi, a Jet Airways aircraft – 168-seater Boeing 737 — will leave Dehradun Airport with stranded A.P. pilgrims/tourists to Hyderabad at 5.15 pm on Wednesday. The aircraft will arrive in Hyderabad Airport by 7.30 pm. Civil Supplies Minister Sridhar Babu will accompany the stranded people in the flight from Dehradun.
The Chief Minister, who arrived at A.P. Bhavan in New Delhi this morning met the stranded pilgrims and consoled them. He told them that his government would take care of their safe return to their native places. He also announced that a special aircraft would leave Dehradun with stranded pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh tomorrow and arrangements were being made to send these people to their respective places.
As per the directions from the Chief Minister, State ministers Capt. N Uttam Kumar Reddy and D Sridhar Babu met Air Marshal Siris Deo, Director General (Operations) at Air Force Headquarters, Vayu Bhavan today and requested him to increase air and helicopter services to save the stranded pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh. They said Air Marshal Siris Deo promised to extend all help to bring back all the stranded people. Both the ministers are leaving for Dehradun to coordinate with Army and Air Force to airlift the victims.
The Chief Minister also directed Chief Secretary P.K. Mohanty to post Irrigation Principal Secretary Adityanath Das as Special officer to oversee the relief operations at A.P. Bhavan and also to depute another five senior officers to various places like Badrinath, Uttarakasi and other places to oversee the relief works personally. Another eight-member medical team, including six doctors left today for Badrinath. The Chief Minister also directed the Chief Secretary to closely monitor the rescue and relief operations with all teams and District Collectors engaged in the relief works. He is constantly in touch with all officers and agencies concerned in Uttarakhand and New Delhi and sought their cooperation and close coordination in safely bringing back the stranded pilgrims.
Teams from Andhra Pradesh camping in Uttarakhand are extending services through Help Desks opened at Dehradun, Rishikesh and Haridwar to help, guide and facilitate the movement of stranded pilgrims of Andhra Pradesh to Delhi and onwards to their respective destinations. Over the last six days, these officers have been contacting the people of Andhra Pradesh, who are coming out of the flood affected areas and sending them by road to Haridwar, Rishikesh and providing them emergency assistance like treatment in hospitals, food arrangement and travel arrangement to Delhi as per the need. They have also deployed 15 vehicles to evacuate people, who are held up in remote areas and bring them to Haridwar & Rishikesh. (NSS)