"Contact Ukrainian Police," MP CM's Helpline Tells Mother Trying To Get Daughter Out Of Ukraine
A desperate mother who was seeking help to get her daughter who is stuck in Ukraine was allegedly told by the helpline of the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister to approach the police in the Eastern European country, which is currently under attack from Russia.
The woman, identified as Vaishali Wilson, a lab technician, from Vidisha, chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's home turf had called the helpline to get her daughter Sristhi Sherry Wilson who is pursuing a medical degree in Kyiv home, amid the worsening situation in Ukraine.
According to her, the operator who took her call asked her to "approach Ukraine police station since it was a matter of that country".?
"The person at the CM helpline asked me to file a complaint with Ukraine police station. If it's a problem in MP, we'll solve it, but if it's a problem in Ukraine, file a report in the police station there," the operator allegedly said.
After she went public with the incident, Vaishali received a call from PMO, which assured her that her daughter will be brought to India on a flight on Sunday.
She was also asked to pay Rs 40,000 for the ticket.
There are around 20,000 Indians, including 15,000 students, stuck in Ukraine, and with the war underway many are trying to get out of the country.
However, many have alleged that the airfares are too high and that they can't afford them.
Students who managed to return in the past couple of days from Ukraine said they had to pay more than double the normal airfare.
"I paid Rs 28,000 when I went to Ukraine six months ago. I paid Rs 62,000 to come back in such a grave situation. In my college, there are almost 1,000 Indian students who are desperate to return but not all of them can afford such high ticket prices," Harshit Sharma, who returned to Bhopal on Wednesday told The Times of India.
Ukraine on Thursday closed its airspace to civilian aircrafts after Russia announced the launch of the military action.
This has forced the Air India AI-1947 which was on its way to Ukraine to turn back.
Ukraine had issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) - is a notice filed with an aviation authority to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the flight after the Russian announcement.
"Air India flight AI1947 is coming back to Delhi due to NOTAM at, Kyiv, Ukraine," Air India informed.
India launches helpline for citizens
With many Indian nationals still stuck in Ukraine, the central government has launched a 24-hour helpline to assist Indian students caught up in the ongoing war. A 24-hour control room has been set up in Delhi and the helpline numbers are +911123012113, +911123914104, +911123017905 and 1800118797.
The Indian Embassy in Kyiv also issued an advisory to Indian nationals stuck in Ukraine. It said that since the Ukrainian airspace was closed, the schedule of special flights has been cancelled.
It also said that alternate arrangements are being made and that information will be conveyed soon so that Indians could relocate to the western part of the country.
Additional helpline numbers for Indians stuck in Ukraine: +38 0997300428, +38 0997300483, +38 0933980327, +38 0635917881, +38 0935046170.
Indian students in Ukraine needing?assistance?can also send emails at this address: situationroom@mea.gov.in.
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