GUWAHATI: The Assam government has said that more students stranded in other states could be brought back to Assam in an “organised manner” if the respective governments cooperate.
As many as 391 students stranded in Kota, Rajasthan were brought back to the city in the wee hours of Monday after a 64-hour bus journey covering about 2000km.
“Likewise, we can facilitate return of more groups of students stranded outside Assam if the respective governments cooperate and help us to arrange the journey in an organised manner. However, it will be difficult to arrange bus journeys for those students stranded in south India or for that matter in Mumbai or Gujarat,” state health and family welfare minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma told the media on Monday.
Sarma along with minister of state for health and family welfare, Pijush Hazarika, received the students at Sarusajai stadium, where 180 male students would be quarantined. The female students would be kept in three hotels to undergo quarantine.
“Along with the students, there were others, including policemen, guardians, who had accompanied the students from Kota. The students have been put on quarantine and tomorrow they will undergo medical check-up. If on the fifth day they do not show any symptoms, the doctors may consider home quarantine. However, there will be another check up after 14 days,” the minister said.
He however advised those students who are currently stranded in far-away states to stay put till the lockdown was lifted. “The elderly people too cannot be arranged such long-distance bus travel owing to limitations in terms of medical emergencies during the journey,” Sarma said.
It may be mentioned that a team from the state police had gone to Rajasthan to coordinate with the authorities for the arrangements and escort the students to the state.
The students who arrived here from Kota, where several COVID-19 positive cases were reported, thanked the state government for the timely intervention and help and the overall hospitality accorded during the journey.