New Delhi: The Consultative Committee of Parliament on External Affairs will meet on Thursday here and Minister S. Jaishankar is likely to brief the members on the evacuation of Indian nationals, especially students from Ukraine.
It is expected that Jaishankar may inform the committee about the progress of the evacuation operation under ‘Operation Ganga’ and steps being taken to airlift the rest of the Indians stuck in the war-torn country. The meeting is scheduled at 11 a.m.
The Parliamentary panel is likely to question India’s stand in the changing geo-political situation after Russia initiated the military action against Ukraine.
The government may also explain the reasons behind India’s abstaining from the voting in the United Nation Security Council meeting and United Nations General Assembly meeting held recently.
The minister may brief the panel about how the government has taken proactive measures and the four ministers being sent to Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary to oversee the evacuation mission under Operation Ganga.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, a member of this Committee, is likely to seek the details of the evacuation mission, especially the region-wise information.
Earlier in the day, Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “To avert further tragedy, GOI must share: How many students have been evacuated. How many are still stranded in Ukraine. Region-wise detailed evacuation plan. We owe a clear strategy & communication to the families involved.”
Other Congress Members Shashi Tharoor and Deputy Leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma will also be participating in the meeting.
Meanwhile, Jaishankar updated about ‘Operation Ganga’ developments and said in a tweet message, “Six flights have now departed for India in the last 24 hours. Includes the first flights from Poland. Carried back 1377 more Indian nationals from Ukraine.”
The Indian embassy officials in Warsaw (Poland) have identified a new entry point at the Poland border for the Indian nationals stuck in western Ukraine.
According to the latest advisory issued by the Indian Embassy, the officials said that the Indians presently stuck in Lviv and Ternopil and other places in western Ukraine may travel at the earliest to ‘Budomierz’ border check-point for a relatively quick entry into Poland.
“Alternatively, they are advised to travel south to transit via Hungary or Romania,” the advisory reads further.
The officials also said that the Indians stuck or residing in western part of the war-torn city should avoid the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing which continues to be congested.
The Indian Embassy has also deployed its officials in Medyka and Budomierz border check-points to receive all evacuees and facilitate their travel to India.
(IANS)
