2,000 pilgrims stuck in Nanded to return home

Tribune News Service

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Chandigarh, April 22

Near 2,000 pilgrims from Punjab, who were stranded at Hazur Sahib in Nanded due to nationwide lockdown, will soon travel back home.

The Centre gave the permission after Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh took up the matter with Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday.

Sharing the development on Twitter, Chief Minister said, “The Home Minister has conceded to our request for the travel of pilgrims stuck at Nanded to Punjab. I have asked the Chief Secretary to make arrangement for transportation. We will bear the cost of travel.”

Capt Amarinder had first spoken to his Maharashtra counterpart Uddhav Thackery, who had said permission would be needed from the Union Government in view of the lockdown.

The Chief Minister then wrote to Shah, urging him to allow the return of the pilgrims. He had told Shah that the stranded pilgrims, mostly belonging to farming families, wanted to immediately return home in view of the ongoing harvesting season. He assured the Union Minister that all pilgrims would be screened and quarantined on their arrival in Punjab.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, in her tweet, said, “Came to Delhi to meet the Union Home Minister and thank him for speaking to Maharashtra CM to fast-track the evacuation of Sikh devotees stranded at Hazur Sahib. Now, I request the Punjab Government to give permission to the buses arranged by the SAD to bring them back home.”