708 reach Gaya by 4 special flights

GAYA: More than 700 natives of Bihar and Jharkhand, who had been stranded in other countries during the Covid-19 lockdown, reached Gaya by four special flights on Wednesday. With this, the number of foreign returnees has crossed the 5,000-mark.
The Gaya International Airport has been notified as the designated airport for Bihar-Jharkhand natives returning from abroad under the Vande Bharat Mission.Although the exact figure of such people, who have got themselves registered for evacuation, is unknown, sources claim that their number is nearly 25,000. This means that more than 75% of those registered under the Vande Bharat Mission are yet to arrive.
Divisional commissioner Asangba Chuba, who is also the nodal officer of the Vande Bharat Mission, stonewalled queries on the actual number of registrations for evacuation. Other officials also said they were under strict instructions not to reveal any details.
Confirming the return of 708 people, Gaya airport director Dilip Kumar said, “Altogether 198 people came by a SpiceJet flight from Ras Al Khaimah (UAE) while another group arrived from Ukraine by an AI flight. Air Arabia and SalamAir also operated special flights from Sharjah (UAE) and Muscat (Oman).”
Asked about the resumption of domestic flights from the Gaya airport, Kumar replied, “No decision has yet been taken in this regard.”