MUMBAI: A day after the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde independently arranged two aircraft to Dubai to evacuate stranded passengers, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday struck a contrasting note stating that unilateral efforts by states could create confusion and pose safety risks amid an unsafe airspace situation. Mr Fadnavis said the state government had urged the Government of India to facilitate the return of citizens from Gulf countries and the Union government conveyed that independent efforts by individual states could lead to confusion and operational challenges.
The Maharashtra CM said that the Centre also flagged safety concerns arising from the prevailing airspace situation, noting that Indian carriers would carry out evacuations in a coordinated manner to ensure passenger safety.
Replying to a discussion in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Mr. Fadnavis informed that a special WhatsApp number had been issued to enable Maharashtra residents in Gulf countries to communicate directly with the administration. He added that Minister Girish Mahajan had interacted with stranded citizens through video calls. Chief Protocol Officer Rajesh Gawande has been tasked with coordination and has met foreign embassy officials to issue standard operating procedures.
BJP legislator Niranjan Davkhare and others raised the issue in the legislative council regarding the return of Maharashtra residents stranded in Gulf countries. A senior official later said 1,272 people had approached the state government seeking evacuation assistance, of whom 1,181 are stranded in the United Arab Emirates.
On Tuesday night, the Shiv Sena brought back 164 citizens, including 84 students from the Pune-based Indira School of Business Studies, and residents from Thane, Ahilyanagar and Pune.
Calling the Sena’s Dubai operation commendable, Mr. Fadnavis reiterated that evacuations would be led by the Centre due to airspace safety concerns. “If every state acts independently, it could lead to chaos. Indian carriers will bring citizens back safely,” he said, adding that the process would be completed within two to three days.
Mr. Fadnavise also said BJP MLA Mihir Kotecha had arranged food for those stranded in Dubai through his contacts.
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