Telangana government’s move to confine people belonging to Andhra Pradesh, who are returning from foreign countries, in quarantine centres in Hyderabad, has not been taken kindly by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the neighbouring state.
For the last two days, several Telugu people have been returning from foreign countries – 163 from Kuwait on Sunday and another 120 passengers from the US on Tuesday.Many of these passengers belong to Andhra Pradesh.
Since there are no direct international flights to Andhra Pradesh airports, these foreign returnees from Andhra are getting down in Hyderabad and are being shifted to paid quarantine centres for 14 days.
These passengers will have to pay a charge ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000 to Rs 30,000 towards quarantine charges for 14 days depending on whether they are put up in normal dormitories or two-star hotels or five-star hotels. Besides, they have to bear expenses for their own food and drinking water.
The Andhra passengers are desperate to go to their respective places and brought it to the notice of the Jagan government.
It is learnt the AP chief minister has written to Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao requesting that they are all sent back to AP.
However, there is no response from the Telangana government which does not want the foreign returnees to leave the state till quarantine period is over.
Apparently, the Telangana officials reminded that the AP government had not allowed its own people to cross the border even when the Telangana police gave them permission.
It is learnt Jagan also wrote to the Centre to intervene and send AP people held up in Hyderabad to be sent to his state.
Otherwise, the Centre should ensure that the flights be continued up to Vijayawada or Visakhapatnam or Tirupati to allow AP passengers to get down there, instead of in Hyderabad.
