State home minister to coordinate evacuation of Keralites from J&K

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 9: Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has deputed Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala to coordinate efforts to bring home Malayali tourists stranded in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir.

Chennithala would be co-ordinating the arrangements for brining over 100 Malayalis to New Delhi by flight from Srinagar, Chandy said here today. After airlifting them to Delhi, the state government would make arrangements for their home-bound journey.

The state's Resident Commissioner in the national capital had been asked to take necessary steps to help them, he said in a release. Chandy had yesterday written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the Centre's help for the airlift of Keralites stranded in Jammu and Kashmir. They had gone there as tourists in different batches.

A control room had been opened at the Kerala House in New Delhi to assist the relatives of those stranded in Jammu and Kashmir.

PTI