Bhubaneswar: Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Thursday confirmed that the six Odia footballers who had gone to Nepal to play matches are safe.
The Minister informed that the nodal officer has already spoken with the players, and a senior official has been assigned the responsibility of bringing them back safely.
The Minister said the Odisha government is in continuous contact with the Nepal government, and the Home Department has been kept informed. Efforts are underway to repatriate the players at the earliest.
The statement comes amid catastrophic floods that have struck Nepal, claiming more than 172 lives and leaving over a thousand people missing. Among those affected are an Odia couple and 135 other Indians. Many more tourists remain stranded in the disaster-hit areas.
Meanwhile, the Odisha government has set up a control room in New Delhi and issued helpline numbers to assist people from the state who may be stranded or in distress due to the devastating flash flood in Nepal.
The helpline numbers are +91-7428135044, +91-8527580245 and 011-23012807, a government statement said.
Pritish Panda, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at the Directorate of Odisha Paribar, has been appointed the nodal officer for the task.
