SRINAGAR
January 29: Former finance minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Wednesday appealed the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take measures to evacuate the residents of Jammu and Kashmir particularly the students and business community stranded in China following the outbreak of Coronavirus.
Raising concerns about the lives of J&K residents especially the students and business community who sought his help, Bukhari talked to the External Affairs Ministry in government of India urging them to make special arrangements for their safe evacuation.
He exchanged the particulars of 32 students stranded in Hubei province of China, which is the epicenter of the virus outbreak with the Ministry of External Affairs and demanded their airlifting by charting a special flight.
“It seems that the ground situation in Wuhan province has worsened. I have information from 32 students who study in Hubei University of Medicine in Shiyan City, Hubei Province in China. All of them are currently safe but they apprehend contamination if they are boarded with other students being evacuated from Wuhan province,” Bukhari briefed the ministry of external affairs government of India.
The former finance minister appealed the government of India to arrange a chartered flight for these students and separate quarantine facility for them.
“It might be appropriate to consider operating a special flight to Wuhan or to a nearby functional airport and airlift the J&K residents particularly the students stranded there to bring them back to India,” he urged the Prime Minister.
Bukhari also appealed the Prime Minister to give necessary directions to Indian Embassy in China to act proactively and provide necessary assistance to J&K students stranded in Wuhan province some of them having already mailed their particulars to the Indian Embassy officials few days back.
“I also appeal the Indian Embassy in China to contact other stranded students and residents of Jammu and Kashmir who are marooned there in connection with their business and other official engagements. These stranded J&K residents should be asked to immediately furnish their details and travel plans in order to check the possibilities to initiate their early and safe evacuation,” he remarked.
