VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday issued helpline numbers and set up control rooms to facilitate the evacuation of 200 students who are stranded in violence-hit Manipur.
According to officials, there are close to 150 students from Andhra Pradesh studying at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Imphal. A few other students are studying at various colleges in the State.
Some of the students told TNIE that violence erupted just 500 metres from the boys’ hostel at NIT. “Over the past two days, the situation has only gotten worse,” T Jeevanasri, a student at NIT and native of Vijayawada, lamented. She requested the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government to help evacuate them from the strife-torn State.
She said, “The Telangana government has arranged flights to evacuate students belonging to the State, but they are not allowing us (students from AP) to go with them. Our college management is not responding to any of our calls.”
The government has set up a control room at AP Bhavan in New Delhi to assist Andhra students stranded in Manipur.
In a press release, officials of AP Bhavan said, “We are in constant touch with the Manipur government and local administration.”
AP Bhavan geared up to rescue students
Officials of AP Bhavan in New Delhi added that the Manipur government has also issued helpline numbers to assist people affected by the law and order situation in the State.” “We are very worried,” Jeevanasri’s mother, T Radhika, said and appealed to the State government to intervene and evacuate the children stranded in Manipur at the earliest.
A senior officer on duty at AP Bhavan said, “We are coordinating with the AP government and planning to arrange a flight for the students as soon as possible.”