Stuck in Dubai, 800 JK residents demand evacuation
Aware of it, all stranded will be brought back: Advisor Baseer Khan
Tasaduq Hussain
Srinagar: At least 800 people hailing from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have been left stranded in various parts in UEA. The stranded JK residents have demanded an immediate evacuation stating that they have run out of money and resources.
People mostly traders and employees who are stranded in various UEA regions said that all the resources available with them have exhausted and they are on verge of starvation due to the prolonged lock-down enforced in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
They said that no work over the past weeks has compelled them to stay indoors and they are without essentials required to stay alive in the highly expensive cities like Dubai, Sharjah and others.
They said that among the 800 stranded people over 80 per cent are employees and traders who haven’t earned a single penny during the lockdown and are indoors since then.
“People employed here are without salary since the month of April due to no work as the lockdown was enforced across the whole country in view of the COVID pandemic and people are running out of essentials,” they said.
At least 800 people had registered with Indian embassy but on May 22 only 150 people were evacuated by flight under ‘Vandhe Bharat Mission’ while at least 165 stranded people that day were made to head back home from the airport and were not allowed to board the flight, they said.
Tahir Bhat, one of the stranded Kashmiri said that over the weeks only one flight has operated and evacuated 150 people but since then not a single flight has arrived to fly them back leaving them to suffer under immense challenging conditions.
He said that no help from any quarter has reached them and they are undergoing really tough times and if the same situation continues for some more days they will face vigorous hardships.
They appealed the government of India and government of Jammu and Kashmir to facilitate their return home.
Meanwhile, advisor to Lt Governor, Baseer Ahmad Khan, when contacted said that they are working on it and process is underway.
“All those stranded there will be brought back. It may take some time but everyone will be brought back, we are working on it,” he said. (KNO)
KV News
