Govt takes strict note of commotion caused by passengers of Goa's first Vande Bharat flight

The government has taken strict note of some passengers, who deboarded the state's first Vande Bharat flight, causing a commotion by insisting on going to their respective homes, instead of heading to mandatory paid quarantine, according to Goa Health Secretary, Nila Mohanan.

"An unfortunate set of events happened at Dabolim Airport since past midnight yesterday when Vande Bharat flight from Dubai landed. Most of the passengers were from Goa, some from Maharashtra and Karnataka. There were around 155 passengers in total," Mohanan said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"When these passengers reached Dabolim Airport, they immediately started raising a hue and cry that they will not go to paid institutional quarantine and that they want to go to their homes. This created a very unpleasant situation at the airport. The government has taken very serious note of this," she added.

The Health Secretary added that every passenger who boards the Vande Bharat flight has to submit an undertaking stating that they are willing to undergo 14 days mandatory quarantine upon arrival in India at their own expense. The passengers had also been informed about the same procedure being adopted prior to their departure from Dubai.

Mohan, therefore, said that the altercations and behaviour at the airport were completely "unacceptable" and "violative of a whole lot of clauses that have been laid down under MHA and MEA guidelines and Disaster Management Act."

She added that the passengers had later agreed to undergo the mandatory paid quarantine in an institutional facility.

( With inputs from ANI )