AMN / WEB DESK
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the Government is working round the clock to bring back Indians stranded in war-torn Ukraine. Mr Modi last evening held a high level meeting on the Ukraine crisis.
During the meetings, Mr Modi has been reviewing the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine.
In an interview to a Hindi Daily, Mr Modi Government is aware of the hardships faced by Indian students due to the war situation. He said, Government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that every Indian reaches home safely. The Prime Minister said, weather conditions did make things difficult for us at several places.
He said, this is the reason why the government prioritised the evacuation of the students and other Indian nationals from those areas where fighting was intense. Mr Modi said, he personally spoke to several heads of states. He said, all ministries involved in this mission are working with complete dedication. As a result, when the students return home after being evacuated, people can clearly see the happiness on their faces. Their parents are relieved.
The Prime Minister told the Newspaper that he has sent four union ministers to oversee evacuations from countries bordering Ukraine. He said, when those stranded children see that the Ministers have personally come to take them home, they are relieved and they are hopeful of reaching home safely.
Mr Modi said, Government has mobilised NGOs and organisations owned by Indians in countries sharing borders with Ukraine. He said, well before the beginning of the war, Indian embassy was in touch with the students and has been constantly guiding them.
The Prime Minister said, before the war, there was a cap on the number of flights between India and Ukraine, but Government of India spoke to the Ukrainian officials and relaxed the curbs so the number of flights can be increased. He said, it is a result of our efforts that we were able to safely evacuate nearly 12 thousand Indian students from Ukraine.
Mr Modi emphasised the role of the air force, which is now taking part in both evacuating Indians and providing aid and relief materials to Ukraine. He said, besides regular flights, we have also roped in the Indian Air Force for evacuations. The Prime Minister said, for the next 30 days, a total of 30 flights will be bringing back Indians from Ukraine.
Mr Modi said, he has told officials to ensure the Government is constantly in touch with relatives of students. He said, right from the district collector to Ministers, the Government is reaching out to thousands of families and standing with them to assure them of their kids’ safe return.