The government had said that it would transport around 9,000-10,000 students stranded in Prayagraj to other districts in the state in a phased manner. More than 300 buses are being used for this.
These students had been studying in the Allahabad University, other colleges and coaching centres. They were stranded in the district after the lockdown was imposed. If other states express the will to take back their students who are currently in Prayagraj, they would also be provided permission to go back.
Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, Avanish Awasthi, said that in the first phase, the buses from Prayagraj would drop students to Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Kaushambhi, Fatehpur and Chitrakoot districts, with borders close to Prayagraj.
The same buses will be sent to other districts in the second phase. He said that if other states want to take back their students stranded in Prayagraj, they would also be provided permission.
The UP 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 migrant labourers were brought back from Haryana, as per government figures.
All the students have been advised 14-day home quarantine.
Meanwhile, interacting with students who had been brought back from Kota through video conferencing on Tuesday, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath underlined the need for following safety protocols.
The Chief Minister revealed that he had something in mind which would provide facilities of coaching and studies in different districts so that students do not have to move out of the state.
(With Agency Inputs)
Watch: Haryana, UP seal their borders with Delhi out of COVID-19 fear