Telugu people stranded in Nepal return to Andhra on special flight

Amaravati, Sep 11 (PTI) Telugu people stranded in Nepal amid unrest safely returned to Vishakapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday with the state government arranging their evacuation through a special flight.

Vishakapatnam TDP MP M Bharat and other NDA leaders were present at the Vizag airport to receive the passengers from Nepal.

"Telugu people stranded in Nepal amid unrest have safely returned to Andhra Pradesh today with the state government facilitating their evacuation through a special flight," the TDP said in a release.

Evacuees were greeted with a warm welcome upon arrival and many passengers expressed visible relief after reaching home (Andhra Pradesh), recounting the uncertainty and hardship they faced in Nepal, it said.

Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh said that 12 people were shifted on two consecutive charter flights from Pokhara to Kathmandu, before being further transported to Vizag through coordinated evacuation efforts.

The evacuees thanked Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh for continuous support, coordination, and ensuring their timely rescue through effective government intervention.

Lokesh earlier said that 144 Telugu people were safely airlifted from Kathmandu in a special flight to Visakhapatnam and Tirupati.

According to the Andhra Pradesh government, over 150 Telugu people have been cleared for boarding at the Kathmandu airport, while a group of 12 from Simikot has safely entered India through Nepalganj.

"And that's liftoff! Our special Indigo flight from Kathmandu is en route with 144 Telugu brothers and sisters. Their joy after 36 hours makes it worthwhile," said Lokesh in a post on 'X'.

He thanked the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS), the Nara Rajadhani Trust (NRT), and Andhra Pradesh Bhavan (in New Delhi) for their tireless support in ensuring the 24x7 helpline remains open to assist the stranded Telugu travelers worldwide.

The state government is coordinating real-time evacuation efforts to bring back stranded Telugu people from various regions of unrest-hit Nepal, said a release from TDP.

Simikot passengers have landed in Nepalganj and crossed into India safely.

In Kathmandu, 154 boarding passes have been issued, including 10 people shifted from Pokhara, it said.

The Andhra Pradesh government arranged a charter plane to transport 10 Telugu passengers from Pokhara to Kathmandu, it said, adding that they (passengers) later joined others at Tribhuvan International Airport, where a special flight arranged by the state was stationed.

The commercial aircraft, which departed from Delhi, has already reached Kathmandu to facilitate onward travel for the stranded citizens to Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, the release added.

Earlier, 22 Telugu people had crossed into Bihar by bus and reached Motihari, with arrangements in place to bring them to Andhra Pradesh.

The state government said it is working in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu to ensure the safety and smooth evacuation of all stranded Telugu people.

Lokesh directed local MLAs and public representatives to extend a warm welcome to the people arriving at airports, including Visakhapatnam and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.

He further instructed officials to ensure proper arrangements are made for their safe travel to their respective hometowns.

The minister said adequate arrangements are being made to airlift all AP citizens from Nepal to the state.

The coordinated rescue operation has ensured safe transfers from Simikot, Pokhara, and Kathmandu, with special flights and vehicles arranged to facilitate their return home, the release added. PTI MS GDK KH