THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has been asked to go to New Delhi to coordinate with the Centre on evacuation of Keralites stranded in Jammu and Kashmir due to floods, according to the office of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here today.
The Kerala Home Minister, who is in touch with Horticulture Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Raman Bhalla, said the Kashmir Government was extending all possible help for the evacuation of Keralites from various flood affected areas.
The Home Minister will leave for New Delhi this evening to coordinate on the evacuation efforts. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had yesterday sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in rescuing the Keralites caught in flash floods.
In his letter to Mr Modi, Mr Chandy said, “If it is necessary, a Kerala Government representative could also be sent to New Delhi.”
More than 100 Keralites are stranded in five hotels. Reports say they are safe. As many as 26 people have been airlifted to Srinagar Aiport.
The Chief Minister had also requested the Prime Minister to send the rescued Keralites to Kerala in a special plane. A control room has also been opened in
Thiruvananthapuram. Helpline number is 0471 2331639. Under the directions of Mr Chandy, a 24-hour control room was set up at Kerala House in Delhi.
“The control room is now fully functional and its numbers are 011-30411411 and 011-23347456,” Kerala House Resident Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said.
He said the government had already handed over the details of stranded Keralites to the Jammu and Kashmir Government and to the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF). These details have also reached the control room of the Ministry of Defence and Home.
Civil Aviation Secretary Somasundaram had already given directions to CMD Air India for full support in this evacuation exercise.
The Controller and the Assisstant Protocol Officer will be stationed at Delhi Airport to bring the Keralites reaching Delhi to Kerala House, he added. (AGENCIES)
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