Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla in a letter to all state chief secretaries said that citizens who have been quarantined in hotels after their return from abroad and who were made to pay an advance for 14 days, must be refunded half of the amount as per the revised guidelines that require only seven days of institutional quarantine.
"As per the guidelines, protocols for institutional quarantine has been revised to seven days followed by seven days home quarantine after medical assessment," read the letter.
"It has been brought to the notice of this ministry that Indian nationals who were quarantined in hotels after their return from abroad were made to pay advance for 14 days. Since they can now leave for home quarantine after seven days, the amount paid by them for the remaining seven days needs to be refunded to them with some hotels refusing to do so," it added.
He further requested state chief secretaries to issue necessary directions to hotels to ensure the returnees are refunded.
"You are requested to issue necessary directions to hotels earmarked/used for institutional quarantine to ensure that foreign returnees who were quarantined in hotels and paid an advance for 14 days, shall be refunded their balance amount without any delay," the letter read.
( With inputs from ANI )