Vijayawada: The special initiative of Minister for HRD, IT, and RTGS (Real-Time Governance System) Nara Lokesh has resulted in the safe return of Telugu people stranded in Nepal amidst the severe tense situation in the country. For the past two days, Lokesh has been in constant touch with AP Bhavan officials in Delhi, the Central government, the Nepalese Embassy, and various state ministers and senior officials from the RTGS Command Control Centre to review the situation. Telugu people were seeking refuge in various locations, including Kathmandu, Hetauda, Pokhara, and Simikot.

The state government has now brought them back via special flights and roadways. A special flight arranged by the Andhra Pradesh government departed from Kathmandu airport with 144 Telugu people on board. Of these, 104 landed in Visakhapatnam airport, and the remaining 40 were bound for Tirupati airport. The Minister has instructed the coalition MLAs to welcome the returnees at both airports. All necessary arrangements have been made to transport the individuals from the airports to their respective hometowns. Additionally, 22 Telugu people who departed from Hetauda, Nepal, by bus safely crossed into India via the Bihar border.

Meanwhile, 12 individuals from Simikot, Nepal, were moved to Nepalgunj on the Indian border via a special flight. From there, they were transported to Lucknow by road and will then travel to Andhra Pradesh via a special flight. The returning residents expressed their gratitude to Lokesh for taking on the responsibility of ensuring the safe return of every Telugu person stranded in Nepal. The helpline centers established at AP Bhavan and the RTGS Command Control Centre will remain operational until the last stranded Telugu person in Nepal is safely brought back to the state.