Update data, Punjab chief secretary tells officials

Chandigarh, February 26

To ensure immediate help to distressed families, Chief Secretary Anirudh Tewari on Saturday reviewed the status of calls received at the state government’s dedicated 24×7 control room, set up yesterday to assist people from Punjab stranded in war-torn Ukraine.

He directed all DCs, commissioners of police and SSPs to immediately update the data with passport numbers of all stranded persons to ascertain the actual number of those stuck.

Chairing a high-level meeting here, the Chief Secretary urged the affected persons and relatives to contact helpline numbers ‘1100’ (for callers within Punjab) and 91-172-4111905 (from abroad). He said 155 calls had been received so far and queries were being forwarded to the MEA for safe evacuation of the stranded.

Tewari asked Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, Resident Commissioner, Punjab, to set up a Punjab Helpdesk at the Delhi airport to assist persons arriving from Ukraine, besides coordinating for their safe travel to homes. —