[ Nellie N Manpoong ]
ITANAGAR, Mar 27: Over 200 students have reached out to the chief minister’s office (CMO) here after Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched helpline numbers for those outside the state who require assistance.
Speaking to this daily, Boyum Pari, a student at the CMC Hospital & School of Nursing in Pithapuram, Andhra Pradesh, informed that she and two other girls had moved out of the college hostel after the college had suspended its classes on 21 March.
Pari said they stayed at a hotel for a night, before shifting to the residence of a senior student, who is a local.
“Our flight was cancelled due to the national lockdown, and our senior’s father was kind enough to let us stay at their place for two days while we tried to come up with ways to reach home.
“Someone from home told us that we should contact the helpline provided by the chief minister, and we reached out to the numbers,” she said.
Pari, who arrived back at her college hostel at around 5:30 on Friday evening, informed that the administration and the police there arranged a police vehicle to escort them to their college.
At present, Pari is with two other Arunachalee girls in the hostel, along with a few others who are staying back to appear for their examinations scheduled for April.
Students stranded in Tiruchirappalli district of Tamil Nadu and Dehradun in Uttarakhand also said they have been assured of assistance in receiving grocery and other essential items through their respective local district administration after they contacted the chief minister’s helpline numbers.
Duyu Rija, who is in Dehradun and could not leave for her home due to the sudden call for the ‘janta curfew’, informed that they are coordinating with the district administration there and have been assured of rations.
Rija, who is also the president of the women’s wing of the Arunachal Dehradun Student’s Union, informed that they will select volunteers to assist the administration in distributing rations to the Arunachalee students there.
Jamoya Tayu, a student who lives in a rented accommodation with other Arunachalees in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, informed that they have been assured of assistance by the sub-collector of Tiruchirappalli district after they reached out to the chief minister’s helpline number here.
The CMO informed that it is coordinating with the local administration as well as locals in Srirangam, who it said have assured to extend help to the Arunachalees there.
Rations will be made available by Friday evening to some, while the rest of the students will receive rations by Saturday, the CMO said.
Students, patients and travellers stranded outside the state due to the lockdown have been advised to remain at their locations, and have been assured of assistance by the state government.
The chief minister has also asked people to reach out to 9436040034 and 8414096193 for coordination. He asked them to obey the rules issued by the respective states, and to get in touch with the local administration in case of emergency.
