Bhubaneswar: In a rapid and highly coordinated effort, 23 tourists from Odisha who were stranded in Nepal due to the prevailing situation have been successfully rescued and brought back to India.
The rescue operation was carried out in a remarkable five hours after the incident came to light, showcasing a seamless collaboration between multiple government agencies.
The group of Odia tourists, who were on a tour to Nepal, found themselves in a difficult situation, unable to return to India. Upon receiving information about their plight, a joint rescue mission was immediately launched.
The operation was a joint initiative of the Directorate of Odisha Paribar under the Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture, Government of Odisha; the Office of the Chief Resident Commissioner, Government of Odisha, New Delhi; the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India; the Embassy of India in Kathmandu, Nepal; and Dr. Manoj Kumar Mahapatra, the Indian Ambassador to Romania.
Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi continuously monitored the developments, while Principal Secretary to the CM, Shri Saswat Mishra, also kept a close tab on the rescue operations.
Shri Manoj Kumar Sahoo, PS to the CM, also played a crucial role in the successful repatriation. The swift arrangement was largely credited to the overdrive of Shri Bijaya Ketan Upadhyay, Secretary of the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department. Diplomat Dr. Manoj Kumar Mahapatra was also lauded for his significant role in the timely rescue.
The tourists were shifted into a luxury bus arranged by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, for their journey back to India. All 23 passengers have returned safely.
The rescued tourists are: Ajay Kumar Panda, Mamina Panda, Pankaj Kumar Dhal, Bharat Kumar Swain, Kamini Swain, Sharda Prasanna Kar, Rima Kar, Manoj Kumar Mishra, Suren Dalai, Biren Dalai, Parsuram Dalai, Purnachandra Dalai, Prasannajit Dalai, Braja Kishore Mishra, Lopamudra Mishra, Shreyan Saurabh Mishra, Santosh Kumar Pani, Sasmita Pani, Bagmipriya Pani, Pramod Kumar Mishra, Rajshree Mishra, Baishnab Sahu, and Suresh Chandra Sahu.