A total of 4,056 fishermen belonging to Andhra Pradesh, who were stranded in Gujarat due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, are returning back to their state today.
"The last bus left Gujarat at 3 a.m. on April 29. So, considering it could take about three days by road, we can expect them to arrive in the state within the next 72 hours," said an official working on the operation.
The Chief Minister asked the officials to ensure that the entire operation is executed smoothly without any hassles. He further decided that a sum of Rs. 2,000 will be handed to each of the fishermen upon their arrival, in order to help them cope with their day-to-day expenditures.
To avoid the further spread of COVID-19 in the state, authorities have decided to keep all fishermen in quarantine upon reaching their respective districts. They will be tested during the same timeframe before being allowed to go to their respective residences.
The process of the return of stranded fishermen began after a series of meetings between the chief ministers of both the states.
( With inputs from ANI )