Facilitation centre set up at Delhi airport for people from Punjab returning from abroad

The Punjab government has set up a facilitation centre at the Delhi airport to help people from the state coming back on special flights from abroad to return to their respective districts.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said the transport facility had been arranged at the centre to ensure the comfortable return of stranded people to their native districts, where they will be required to stay in quarantine for 14 days and tested for COVID-19.

Those found negative would be sent home for another two weeks of self-quarantine, while those who test positive will be shifted to isolation centres, Singh said in a statement.

Around 20,000 stranded people are expected to return to Punjab under the Vande Bharat Mission. With many of them by flights arriving in New Delhi, the facilitation centre would ensure seamless coordination, without chaos or confusion, the chief minister said.

Elaborate arrangements have been made to quarantine these people in hotels in the respective districts, and free quarantine facility would be given to those students or immigrants who cannot afford the cost of hotels, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said.

While one flight arrived in Amritsar from the USA on Tuesday, several more are expected to arrive in New Delhi and Amritsar next week.

The facilitation centre is coordinating with the state transport department to enable smooth and timely services for taking the returnees to their home districts in Punjab.