Punjab seeks return of pilgrims stranded in Delhi

Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satish Chandra wrote to Deputy Commission (Central) New Delhi Nidhi Srivastava, seeking expeditious permission of the Delhi government to facilitate the safe return of the stranded pilgrims from the Delhi gurudwara, through special Punjab government buses.

Chandigarh: The Amarinder Singh-led government on Monday contacted the Delhi government to facilitate the evacuation of 250 Sikh pilgrims stuck at the Sri Majnu Ka Tila gurdwara due to the lockdown.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satish Chandra wrote to Deputy Commission (Central) New Delhi Nidhi Srivastava, seeking expeditious permission of the Delhi government to facilitate the safe return of the stranded pilgrims from the Delhi gurdwara, through special Punjab government buses.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Chief Minister's Office said 152 students, stranded in Kota, were brought back to Punjab in specially hired buses up to Bathinda, from where they were transported to their respective destinations by state government buses.

Apart from these, 2,800 Punjabi labourers will return home in 60 government buses from Jaisalmer, where they are stranded in five relief camps. They are expected to reach Punjab on Tuesday morning via the Ganganagar entry point to the state.

Further, as many as 467 pilgrims reached Bathinda on Monday evening in government buses from Nanded and were on their way to their respective hometowns. Another lot of buses have started leaving for Nanded to bring back more pilgrims.

Expressing grief over the untimely demise of a PRTC driver, who was on way to Nanded, on April 26, the Chief Minister announced an ex gratia grant of Rs 10 lakh.

With IANS inputs