Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Mar 18: The state government has stepped up measures to evacuate stranded citizens, mostly college and university students, located in different parts of the country in the wake of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
CMO sources informed that eight students from the JT Mahajan College Engineering, Bhusawal in Maharashtra have been evacuated by train on Wednesday afternoon after the university and college authorities in Maharashtra issued a vacation order to all the students in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The chief minister’s office (CMO) has designated an officer to oversee and coordinate the operation.
Chief Minister Pema Khandu also tweeted that the CMO is coordinating and in touch with the students.
Additionally, it has been reported that many students have decided to stay back in their hostels despite vacation notices issued by respective colleges, and are maintaining social distancing as a preventive measure. The state government reportedly intervened and is in touch with the college and university authorities for safe passage of the Arunachalee students.
“There are over 2000 Arunachalee students in Dehradun area. Many have left for home after the college authorities suspended the classes and closed the hostels, but many have chosen to stay back,” said Arunachal Dehradun Students’Union general secretary Phurpa Tsering.
Even as some students leave for their home states, others have decided to stay back.
Accordingly, with the intervention of Lohit Deputy Commissioner Prince Dhawan, 22 students of the Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore Tamil Nadu were allowed to stay back in the college by the authorities.
“We were supposed to go home as per the notification and had sought help from the district administration of Lohit, but travelling in crowded modes of transportation would be placing ourselves at risk of contact. The Lohit administration helped us stay back in the college hostel,” said Anjangmai, a student.
Anjangmai informed that the college authority has assigned two faculties to look after them.
On reports that a cancer patient from Arunachalee was denied entry to the Mulund Society apartments’ complex in Mumbai, the chief minister informed that the matter has been taken up and coordination is being done.
The All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) has urged the government of Arunachal Pradesh to open a line of communication with respective state governments across the country to assist or evacuate Arunachalee students stuck in vulnerable and seriously affected states.
It also requested the three members of Parliament to render necessary support and cooperation to bring back the students from the affected states.
Besides, the AAPSU welcomed the issue raised by Arunachal East MP Tapir Gao regarding racial discrimination faced by the students of North East region in various parts of the country due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the country. It urged the government of India to issue strict directives to contain such instances of racial discrimination and also to initiate necessary action.
