Tourists stuck at U'khand resort urge govt to send them home

A group of 27 tourists from West Bengal stuck here for over a month due to the lockdown on Saturday requested the district administration to send them home, saying they had run out of money and essential medicines.

They are at a resort near Berinag area of the district in Uttarakhand since March 21.

"We reached Chaukori on March 21 in the course of our Kumaon tour but got stuck at the resort due to the sudden imposition of the lockdown to fight COVID-19," said Shantanu Gosh, a member of the group who hails from Asansol district of West Bengal.

He said the group has a four-year-old girl and four people who have undergone bypass surgery and need their daily dose of medicines. "They have already finished their medicines which are not available in the local market," Sarkar said.

The group consists of people from Howrah, Bankura, Durgapur and Asansol districts of West Bengal.

When contacted, Pithoragarh District Magistrate VK Jogdande said the administration is fully aware of the problems being faced by the group and they are being provided with essentials, including food and medicines.

But they can be set back to their respective homes in West Bengal only after the district administration gets a nod from higher authorities, he said, adding that a letter has already been sent to senior officials authorities in this regard. "Once we hear from them, we will act accordingly," Jogdande said.