Evacuated from Sudan, 56 return to state from Jeddah
Fifty-six people from Gujarat – brought back from war-torn Sudan – arrived in Ahmedabad early morning on Friday. Harsh Sanghavi, Minister of State for Home and Non-resident Gujaratis’ Division, welcomed the returnees at the airport.
He was accompanied by Ahmedabad Collector Praveena DK and ‘Operation Kaveri’ officers, along with office bearers from various departments.
The central government launched ‘Operation Kaveri’ earlier this week to bring back Indians from Sudan.
Those who returned to Gujarat on Friday were evacuated from the Saudi Arabian port city of Jeddah and flown to Mumbai on the Indian Air Force’s C-17 transport aircraft. Of the total 56 people, 44 were brought to Ahmedabad’s Circuit House early Friday morning by a Volvo bus.
Others headed to their destinations on their own.
From Ahmedabad, the state government arranged transportation for 39 people from the Rajkot district, nine from the Gandhinagar district, three from the Anand district, and five hailing from the Vadodara district to return to their homes, stated an official release.
The state government was in constant touch with the Ministry of External Affairs to bring back the Gujaratis trapped amid the civil war that broke out in Sudan.
A list of people from the state was shared with the Centre, as per the government.
Quoting Harsh Sanghavi, the release stated: “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India became the first country to make a rescue plan and plan to bring Indians from Sudan back home and after they reached the country, the state government has taken the responsibility
of bringing them to their motherland.”
