Jharkhand govt to bear travel expenses of its residents stranded in Ukraine

The Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand would be reimbursing the cost of travel of residents of the state willing to return from war-torn Ukraine.

“Amidst the deepening crisis in Ukraine, the state government will reimburse the expenditure of Jharkhand residents returning home at their own expense. The state government in association with the Centre is making efforts to extend all possible help to those stranded in Ukraine,” the Jharkhand chief minister said in a post on Twitter on Saturday.

The Jharkhand government had on Friday issued helpline landline and Whatsapp numbers of the state control room for people from the state stranded in Ukraine amid a Russian invasion that began on Thursday.

People aware of the matter in the Chief Minister’s office said till now around three dozen people, mostly students, have contacted the state control room seeking help.

A day earlier, on Friday, the Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Odisha governments too offered to bear the entire travel expenses of stranded students, who were making their way from Ukraine to India amid a Russian invasion. Ukraine closed its air space after an invasion by Russia on Thursday.

The Telangana government has set up helplines in Telangana Bhawan in New Delhi and the state secretariat in Hyderabad to help the Telangana students and citizens stranded in Ukraine. The Tamil Nadu government has set up a helpline in Chennai.