New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Eduard Heger, over phone and discussed the evacuation of Indian nationals starnded in war-torn Ukraine.
Modi thanked Heger for the assistance provided by Slovakia in the evacuation of Indian citizens from Ukraine, and for permitting special evacuation flights from India.
He asked for Slovakia's continued assistance in the next few days with India undertaking a mission to evacuate other citizens from conflict zones.
Modi also informed Heger about the deployment of Union minister Kiren Rijiju as India's special envoy to oversee the evacuation efforts in Slovakia.
The Prime Minister also expressed his anguish at the ongoing violence and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, and reiterated India's consistent appeal for cessation of hostilities and a return to dialogue.
Modi stressed upon the importance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
India is said to be preparing a more than $18 billion recovery and sustainability package for its industries and large workforce in the unorganised sector, industry sources in the know said on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government is currently addressing the compliance related issues and an economic package covering issues of concern to the industry would be announced separately later.
Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath government on Wednesday deployed over 12,000 mobile vans, e-rickshaws, and 'thelas' (handcarts) to ensure doorstep delivery of food items during the lockdown.
An unprecedented 60 per cent of Indians believe that the coronavirus threat is hyperbolized, even as the number of confirmed cases in the country surged past 400 on Monday.
