Amidst growing concern over the safety of students from Andhra Pradesh stranded in the strife-torn Ukraine, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday spoke on telephone with the Union Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar and discussed measures for the well being of the students trapped there and their safe return.
Mr. Jaishankar is said to have assured the Chief Minister that Centre is making all possible efforts for their safe evacuation. The Union Minister said efforts were being made to shift the students to the neighbouring nations and bring them home in chartered flights.
High-level meeting
Earlier, the Chief Minister held a high-level meeting attended by the Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma, Special Officer (International Cooperation) A. Gitesh Sarma and Advisor to the State government Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.
The officials informed the Chief Minister about the steps taken so far at the State-level to ensure the well being of students trapped in Ukraine.
The Chief Minister directed them to set up call centres at every Collectorate and establish contacts with every individual from the state who is trapped in Ukraine currently and initiate immediate and effective measures to ensure their safety.
He said any information received from Telugus in Ukraine should be immediately conveyed to the officials of the Department of External Affairs and if the need arises, extend full support from the State for safe evacuation of the students in chartered flights.
The State has also created dedicated helplines at Andhra Bhavan in Delhi to enable students and individuals in need of help in Ukraine reach out to the team of officials for assistance.
Helplines
Later, speaking to the media, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma said that the Chief Minister has been constantly reviewing the situation and taking steps to bring back the stranded students from Ukraine. He said that various helplines +48660460814, +48606700105, 1902, 8500027678 have been set up both in Ukraine and in Andhra Pradesh to assist the students and their parents. He said that four teams were set up in the borders of Ukraine connecting Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania to airlift the students safely
