Himachal Pradesh: 309 students evacuated from Ukraine so far, says CM Jai Ram Thakur

A total of 309 Himachal Pradesh students have been evacuated from Ukraine so far amid the Russian military operations, said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Saturday.

He also said that 149 from Himachal Pradesh are still stranded in Ukraine at present.

Speaking to media persons after addressing the Himachal Pradesh Assembly today, Thakur said, "Even in Kharkiv and Sumy areas, students are in difficult conditions but the Government of India is constantly in touch with them all."

According to information received by the Ministry of External Affairs, a campaign to evacuate students is also being started in Kharkiv. I hope for the earliest and safe return of stranded students, the chief minister said.

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Asha Kumari also showed concern and raised the issue in the assembly seeking Chief Minister's intervention to indulge in the efforts by the Union government to evacuate Indian students from Ukraine.

"The students and others stranded in Kharkiv and Sumy region are in a bad situation, they neither have food and water nor money as ATMs are shut in Ukraine. The government of India has a neutral approach to this war, so I have requested the Chief Minister to take up the matter with MEA to talk to the Russian government for the safe evacuations of stranded Indians," Kumari stated.

She also added, "BJP leaders are playing politics on the matter and are welcoming the stranded people on borders of safe countries where these stranded people are reaching by themselves."

However, the government has deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals.

Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri is overseeing evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania and Gen VK Singh in Poland.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired several meetings on the evacuation of Indian nationals from Ukraine. In the meeting, he chaired on Friday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and other senior officials were present.

( With inputs from ANI )