No money for flight please adjust with train: Dy CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMay 29, 2020

Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong on Friday said the state government cannot arrange flights to bring back stranded citizens to the state as it is too expensive.

“The problem with us is that we cannot bear the entire expenditure and I don’t think those stranded friends should also depend on us for flight fares…as government has already provided Rs 3,000 financial assistances to all stranded people,” Tynsong told reporters.

He said therefore, the state government is paying for the services of the special train to bring back all stranded citizens to the state.

The deputy CM also informed that talks are still on with respective state governments especially from Maharashtra.

“Both governments are working out on which date, special train will be made available for people from Meghalaya stranded in Mumbai and Pune to return to the state,” he said.

According to him, a total of 10,655 people including students and those working outside the Northeast region have returned to the state as on Friday.

He further informed that another 352 people have left from Kerala and will be reaching Guwahati railway station on May 30, while 174 from Delhi and 99 from Goa are scheduled to arrive on May 31.

Asked, the deputy CM said that there are quite a number of stranded people who have come back to the state at their own expense and are following protocols as they entered the state.

“We salute the parents, who have jointly taken the responsibility to bring them back to the state and that itself is the spirit of working together with the state government,” Tynsong said. He further added that some of those who are still stranded outside the state have also expressed their willingness to stay back but have requested financial support from the government.

To another query, he said those who have returned to the state can go back to other states but due procedures have to be followed. According to him, quite a number of students from outside the state will also be required to come to the state for appearing the HSSLC examination for the remaining papers.

On the other hand, Tynsong informed that over 13,000 people from other states are stranded in Meghalaya including students and labourers.

Meanwhile, the deputy CM informed that financial assistance of Rs 2100 has been transferred to the bank account of each 86,405 of 1.81 lakh beneficiaries who are mainly daily wage earners during the COVID-19 lockdown for three months. The labour department is still working out to transfer the amount to the remaining 95,000.

He said financial assistance was also transferred to the bank accounts of as many as 24,730 registered construction workers in the state.