Tamil Nadu govt to bear expenses of its students returning from Ukraine: Stalin

Amid rising tensions Ukraine after Russian troops invaded the country yesterday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday announced that his government will bear all travel expenses incurred for the return of around 5,000 Tamil Nadu students and Tamil diaspora stranded in Ukraine as of now. He also announced the helpline numbers and email addresses for further assistance to the citizens.
 
Tamils in Ukraine can contact State Nodal officer facilitating the evacuation of stranded citizens at 9445869848, 9600023645, 9940256444 and 044-28515288. Tamilians can also contact the Ukraine Emergency Help Centre at the Tamil Nadu Podhigai Illam in Delhi via WhatsApp on 9289516716 as well as via email on ukrainetamils@gmail.com. Stranded Tamilians can also contact the toll-free State Emergency Control Room number 1070.

Further, Andhra Pradesh government has also established helplines for stranded students across Ukraine. All the Andhra students who are stranded in Ukraine can contact the AP Non-Resident Telugu Society at 08632340678 or via WhatsApp at 8500027678. They can also contact OSD P Ravi Shanker at 9871999055, Assistant Commissioner MVS Rama Rao at 9871990081 and Assistant Commissioner ASRN Saibabu at 9871999430 and 011-23384016.

Meanwhile, Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal chief Naveen Patnaik contacted Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Patnaik asked Shah to ensure safe evacuation of Odia labourers and students from Ukraine.
 
The Union Home Minister assured Patnaik that the Centre is in touch with the Ukrainian government and is working to bring the stranded students and labourers back to India. Around 100 Odia students are stranded in various cities of the war-torn country. Around 60-65 MBBS students from Odisha are studying at Kharkiv’s VN Karazin Kharkiv National University at present.
 
(With inputs from ANI, Mohammad Suffian)

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