Jaishankar holds review meeting to ramp up Vande Bharat Mission operations

External Affairs Minister (MEA) S Jaishankar on Tuesday conducted a review meeting of Vande Bharat Mission with the aim to ramp up the scale of the repatriation exercise and enhance its efficiency.

"Just concluded a detailed review meeting of Vande Bharat Mission. Thank Team MEA, Ministry of Civil Aviation, DMA, Air India, MHA, Bureau of Immigration for their participation and contribution. The focus of the meeting was to ramp up the scale of VBM and enhance its efficiency," S Jaishankar wrote on Twitter.

"Arrangements being made for amnesty beneficiaries in the Gulf and Naval evacuation of our fishermen in Iran will happen in June," he added.

He also said that Air India will shortly shift to direct ticketing to facilitate bookings abroad. Besides, the Centre is working with state governments for more efficient use of cumulative quarantine capacity.

Last week, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said that upwards of 20 thousand Indian citizens have been brought back to the country under the mission so far and the number will rise further in the coming days.

The MEA recently announced that the second phase of the mission has been extended to June 13.

"The second phase of this mission began from May 16 onward and this phase will last till June 13. We are looking to bring back our nationals from 47 countries on 162 flights in this phase," MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava has said.

( With inputs from ANI )