The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday said it would now transport around 9,000-10,000 students stranded in Prayagraj to other districts in the State in a phased manner.
Making the announcement, Awanish Awasthi, Additional Chief Secretary-Home Department, said 300 buses would be used to ferry the students to their home districts.
The government estimates that around 9,000-10,000 students studying in Allahabad University and other colleges and coaching centres, were stranded in various parts of the district, which is a big hub in coaching for competitive examination.
First phase
In the first phase, the buses from Prayagraj would drop students to Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Kaushambi, Fatehpur and Chitrakoot districts, with borders close to Prayagraj.
“The same buses will be sent to other districts in the second phase,” Mr. Awasthi said. If other States want to take back their students stranded in Prayagraj, they would also be provided permission, he added.
The U.P. government had earlier sent buses to bring back students stranded in Kota, Rajasthan, and migrant labourers stuck in Haryana, due to the lockdown. Over the weekend, more than 12,000 migrants labourers were brought back from Haryana, as per government figures.
The migrants were dropped along the borders of Bulandshahr, Mathura, Baghpat, Shamli and Saharanpur before being sent to their homes in 349 buses, Mr. Awasthi said.
Numbers rise
Meanwhile, the number of deaths linked to COVID-19 reached 31 in U.P., while the number of positive cases climbed to 1,986, as per the State Directorate of Health Services. The latest death was recorded in Shravasti.
The State has 1,556 active cases. The worst-affected district has been Agra, with ten deaths and 384 cases.
The State recorded 113 new cases over the past 24 hours, including 27 in Kanpur and 17 in Firozabad.
