Early Times Report
Jammu, May 18: National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana today sought direct special trains from various metropolitan and other important cities of the country, especially Jaipur, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Bangalore and Kolkata to Jammu Tawi, in order to facilitate the return of stranded residents of Jammu and Kashmir back to their homes.
“Patience is running out of the stranded people, mostly poor, who had gone to various cities for sustenance and other pursuits including medical treatment but got stuck at different places due to abrupt Lockdown 1-0 on March 25”, Rana said in a statement, adding that they have been making frantic calls for their evacuation.
The Provincial President said he too has been receiving distress calls from the stranded people from Rajasthan, Bangluru, Hyderabad, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and the various other states, seeking direct train services. Though some appreciable and effective measures have been taken for airlifting of the J&K residents from Iran, Bangladesh and, Pakistan yet these initiatives are to be broadened to ensure that everyone returns home safely. In the given circumstances, he said the administration has done pretty well to clear the rush of stranded people by train service from New Delhi and other northern states to Jammu and hoped that similar arrangements would be made from other cities as well in a time bound manner. The stranded people are registered with designated nodal officers and are awaiting their passage back homes, he added. He hoped the administration will appreciate the enormity of the situation and come to the rescue of helpless people.
Rana said the number of stranded people from Jammu and Kashmir in various parts of the country could be high as the difficult situation dawned at a time when the residents were preparing for return journey at the end of the winter season. They were obviously taken aback due to sudden announcement of the lockdown in the wake of virus outbreak, he said, hoping that the nodal officers appointed by the administration will come up with some viable proposals for early return of the people held up in various cities.
The Provincial President also referred to people stranded in various districts within Jammu and Kashmir and hoped that the government will come up with some plan for their return as well. They are needed to be ferried to their respective home destinations without further delay, he said while urging the administration for ensuring boarding and lodging of such stranded persons.
Rana lauded the great efforts being put up by the frontline COVID-19 warriors, saying they have emerged as the only hope during these grimmer times. He said the society as a whole shall remain indebted for their unflinching commitment in service of the needy and salutes their valour in reaching out to sick at the peril of their own safety and that of their families. “They deserve all cooperation, support and esteem of the indebted people”, he maintained.
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