330+ requests from locals stuck abroad

Shariq Majeed | Apr 28, 2020, 04:02 IST

Ludhiana: The district administration has received more than 330 requests from its citizens who are stuck abroad and wish to return.
On Sunday evening, the administration had issued a statement, saying the Punjab government has sought information about residents, including students, who were abroad and wished to return to India. It added that they could contact the district administration with relevant details.
Officials said by Monday evening, around 330 persons made requests and of these, maximum came from Canada, followed by Australia, the USA and Singapore. The officials said there were also many requests from countries like the UK and Italy where thousands of cases of Covid-19 have been reported. They said the number of such requests would increase in the next few days.
Additional deputy commissioner (development) Amrit Singh said these people need to upload their details on the Google form at the link https://forms.gle/QNMdKDHVk6PCK8DV7. These would then be sent to the state government for necessary action.
Officer on special duty (OSD) to chief minister Ankit Bansal said after the details were collected by the deputy commissioners of various districts, these would be sent to the chief minister’s office (CMO). “The chief minister will take up the cases with the ministry of external affairs, which will contact the respective embassies. We are working to bring back all residents of Punjab stuck abroad,” the OSD added.
An NRI Sabha representative said the government must make all-out efforts. “Many people abroad are facing financial problems and sufferings. The government should bring them back so that they can at least be with their families. However, they must be screened before being allowed to their native places,” said Apinder Singh Sodhi of NRI Sabha in Ludhiana. He added that there were 600 registered members with the sabha from the district.