Satish Aditya
Raxaul (Bihar) : Under Vande Bharat Mission of The Government of India (GoI), the first batch of 350 migrant workers, pilgrims, and tourists, who were stranded in different parts of Nepal due to lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, entered the Indian territory on May 26, 2020, through the Integrated Check-post at Raxaul in East Champaran District in North Bihar. They were welcomed by the Immigration officials, SSB, and Indian embassy officials at Kathmandu besides the officials of East Champaran District.
DM, East Champaran, Shirshat Kapil Ashok, said that the first batch of 350 Indians comprised people mostly from different district of Bihar and they were provided buses by the administration to reach their respective home. They left for their destinations after 3 pm on May 26, 2020.
DM Ashok, as per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, informed all the DMs concerned to put those coming from Nepal under institutional quarantine after they reach their respective districts.
DM Ashok said the second batch of Indians will reach Raxaul on May 27, 2020, as per information received here. The administration has made arrangement for their screening, medical check-up, sanitisation, and food and drinking water at the Integrated Check-post at Raxaul.
B Suresh Kumar, Officer Incharge, Bhartiye Mahavanijya Dutawas, Birgunj, Nepal; Ajay Kumar Pankaj, Immigration Officer, Raxaul ; and Raj Kumar Kumawat, Assistant Commandant, SSB, are supervising and monitoring the arrival of Indians at Raxaul.
Four hundred Nepalese too are stuck in Indian side near Indo-Nepal border at Raxaul for the last two months and they have been
quarantined by the administration at different centres. SDM, Raxaul, Amit Kumar, said they are being provided free food , medicine, and other facilities by the administration. The Nepal Government had not allowed them to enter Nepal and advised them to
get quarantined at Raxaul instead.
Pradeep Yadav, the MP from Parsa, Nepal, had visited the quarantine centre at Raxaul last week and met the people from Nepal. He had expressed his satisfaction over the facilities provided to them by Bihar government there. He said that efforts are being made to bring them back to Nepal soon.