Manipur violence: 72 students, civilians from Telangana return home by special flight

About 250 students belonging to Telangana are believed to be studying in various educational institutions in Imphal and surrounding areas

Hyderabad: As many as 72 students and civilians from Telangana who stranded in the violence-hit Manipur were evacuated and brought by a direct flight from Imphal to Hyderabad on Monday afternoon. They arrived in a special flight at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad at 1.22 pm. Another 34 are expected to reach Hyderabad via Kolkata by Monday evening.

The remaining 130 students from Telangana will reach Hyderabad by a flight in two batches on Monday night and Wednesday morning. Besides, some students will be reaching Hyderabad by flights coming via Raipur, Patna and Bhubaneswar. About 250 students belonging to Telangana are believed to be studying in various educational institutions in Imphal and surrounding areas.

---

Students studying in NIT, IIIT, JIMS, Manipur Agriculture University and several civilians, including a couple carrying a five-day-old baby from Bhainsa town of Nirmal were safely brought back on Monday. The students and the other evacuees thanked the State government for bringing them back home safe.

Labour Minister Ch Malla Reddy along with Additional Director General (Welfare) Abhilasha, ADGP (CID) Mahesh M Bhagwat, DIG (Women Safety Wing) B Sumathi, Rangareddy Collector S Harish, Additional Secretary (Protocol & NRI Affairs) S Arvinder Singh and others received the evacuees at the RGIA.

Speaking to the media, Malla Reddy said Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had taken special care to ensure the safety of Telangana students and civilians stranded in Manipur. Stating that arrangements have been made to send students arriving from Manipur to their hometowns in buses, Malla Reddy said eight special buses have been arranged for this. The Minister said the State government would take measures to ensure that their studies did not suffer.

A student from Suryapet CH Bharthi said about 26 girls who came in the flight were from NIT, Manipur. Bharthi said she had contacted BRS MLC K Kavitha and that she gave them courage and helped them. Another student Sai Kiran from Ghatkesar thanked Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and IT Minister KT Rama Rao for their prompt response.

Chief Secretary A Santhi Kumari and DGP Anjani Kumar had formed a special working group with a round-the-clock control room in the DGP’s Office. The State government opened a special cell as well to monitor the situation in Manipur and is taking measures to ensure the safety of Telangana students and people residing in Manipur. The Chief Secretary earlier contacted her Manipur counterpart to facilitate the safe transit of Telangana students from Imphal to Hyderabad.