New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Around 22,500 Indian nationals have returned from Ukraine to India from February 1 to March 11, the Parliament was informed on Monday.
"(A total of) 90 evacuation flights were operated under 'Operation Ganga' including 14 Indian Air Force flights," Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Gen V.K. Singh (retd) told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
He said that the government had coordinated with the Indian carriers for the operation of evacuation flights.
"The government has coordinated with six private airlines... for evacuation of Indian nationals from countries adjoining Ukraine viz. Romania, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia under Operation Ganga.
"Air India and Air India Express together have operated 23 evacuation flights under Operation Ganga," he said, adding that the air fare for all the flights operated under 'Operation Ganga' has been borne by the Centre.
After the meeting of Rahul Gandhi with Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and T.S. Singh Deo, it is widely expected that the state could see a minor portfolio reshuffle. Singh Deo may be given more importance in the cabinet and it's likely he may be allotted a portfolio soon. Currently he holds the health portfolio.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he will invite Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Punjab Governor V.P. Badnore and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as guests at the special session.
Chidambaram was addressing a press conference at the fag-end of his two-day visit to the state in the capacity as the All India Congress Committee's senior observer in charge of Goa ahead of the 2022 state assembly polls.
Punjab annually generates 20 million tonnes of paddy straw and this is normally set on fire to quickly clear the fields for the next crop, resulting in choking of the National Capital Region (NCR) in October and November.
Priyanka's remarks came after farmers on Tuesday evening vacated the railway tracks and highways in Punjab after the Amarinder Singh government accepted the demands of the sugarcane farmers.
The 'rebel' legislators reached Dehradun in the morning to apprise Rawat about the mood of the public against the Amarinder Singh-led government in the state. They, among 20-odd party legislators, have been demanding replacement of Amarinder Singh as he failed to fulfill the 2017 poll promises.
