900 migrants return to J-K from Maharashtra

Nine hundred migrants from Jammu and Kashmir, including 400 students belonging to the Valley, were ferried home from Maharashtra by a 'Shramik Special' train on Thursday, officials said.

However, several students from Jammu stranded in Pune alleged that the union territory administration was biased in the evacuation process.

"The government has failed to evacuate us from Pune while some students were sent home from the same area today," a 26-year-old student from Jammu said.

Government spokesperson and Principal Secretary, Planning and Information, Rohit Kansal in a tweet said, "900 J&K residents including 400 students in Maharashtra were evacuated by special Shramik train today".

"Including road and air evacuees, a total of returnees now exceeds 50000. All others: Not to worry. Everyone being facilitated," he said.

A Special Rajdhani Express carrying 1,000 passengers from Delhi reached Jammu at 5.45 am on Thursday. Kansal said special sample collection kiosks have been set up for 100 per cent testing of the passengers on their arrival here.

According to reports, J&K students have started arriving at the Nagpur railway station from various adjoining districts of Wardha, Pune, Yavatmal, Amravati, Raigad, Gondia, Aurangabad, Nashik, Washim, Bhandara, Phalgar, Buldana, Akola and Latur for their onward journey to Udhampur through a special train.

A fleet of buses has been deployed since Wednesday evening for shifting J&K residents stranded in parts of Maharashtra to Nagpur, they said.

Officials said more than half of the union territory residents stuck in other parts of the country have already returned back and the administration is planning the return of the rest.