Uddhav discusses steps to bring back students from Kota amid lockdown

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has discussed modalities to bring back students from the state stuck in Kota, a coaching hub, due to coronavirus-induced lockdown, with his Rajasthan counterpart Ashok Gehlot.

Thackeray and Gehlot also discussed various measures to check the spread of the coronavirus in their respective states over phone on Friday, the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) tweeted on Saturday (April 25).

“Both the CMs also discussed arrangements made for the students from Maharashtra in Kota. Both the states are collectively working on modalities to ensure that these students return to Maharashtra,” it said.

The Congress is one of the constituents in the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra. The Congress is also in power in Rajasthan. Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan had said that about 2,000 students from Maharashtra are stranded in Kota.

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“Students from different parts of the country live in Kota while studying for competitive exams. There are 2,000 students from Maharashtra. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath sent 250 buses to bring back 7,500 students from his state back home,” Chavan had stated in his letter addressed to Thackeray.

At least 13,000 students from Uttar Pradesh, 2,800 from Madhya Pradesh and 350 from Gujarat had already reached their home towns from Kota, which is known for its coaching centres to prepare students for competitive exams, in the last few days, a Rajasthan government official had said on Friday.

Nearly 1,400 students from Haryana and Assam left Kota on Friday morning for their home towns by buses arranged by their respective state governments.

Over 50 students from the Union territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Diu had left for home in three buses on Thursday noon and more than 250 students from Rajasthan had left for their respective home districts till Thursday night.

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