58 Vande Bharat Mission flights to be deployed to evacuate stranded Tamilians

As part of its Vande Bharat Mission, the central government has deployed its aircraft and evacuated many Indians from various parts of the world in the two months or so. Over 60,000 Indians have made it to their motherland owing to this initiative.

However, in a case filed by DMK, the party alleged that the State government was refusing clearance to land such mission flights in the international airports in the state. During the course of hearing, the State submitted that it has no objection to receiving such flights bringing back stranded Tamils from various countries due to the lockdown.

The Centre has informed the Madras high court that 58 more Vande Bharat Mission flights are scheduled to land in Tamil Nadu returning stranded residents of the state from across the globe due to the COVID-19 induced lockdown.

"Of them, 41 will land in Chennai, 11 in Trichy, 4 in Coimbatore, and 2 in Madurai," additional solicitor general of India R Sankaranarayanan said.

As of present, only 43 per cent of Tamilian population stranded abroad have been rescued and the Centre was queried as to why despite a proposal of evacuating 25939 passengers in 149 flights, only 58 flights have been allotted as of present.

The Centre, represented by its Additional Solicitor General, Sankaranarayanan informed the Court that a complete flight schedule can be provided by July 30, after which the hearing was adjourned.