Confusion over special flights leave parents fuming
HYDERABAD: For the parents of students who were washed away in the river Beas on Sunday, getting into the government-arranged special flights was an ordeal.
In the middle of great personal tragedies, they were in no position to fight another battle with the authorities to get into the aircraft, but they had to.
Poignant scenes were witnessed at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport in Shamshabad with parents breaking down over the tragedy that had befallen them and fuming at the authorities for imposing restrictions on their movement.
What has left the parents angered is the fact that authorities have decided to allow only one person per family to board the flight. 'I cannot go alone knowing fully well what is awaiting me there. I wish the officials understood our feelings. I have been pleading with them to allow me to take my brother-in-law with me,' M Venkatramana, father of a missing student said.
Initially, the officials were adamant but later relented and allowed more number of people to board the flight after the government arranged for more planes.
Relatives' agony began in the afternoon as there was no one to help them about information regarding the timing of the special flight to Kullu.
Some of them did not know the whereabouts of their children as their names were not in either the missing or safe lists. 'Yesterday evening we saw the news about the students missing while they were on an industrial tour.
Later, when we checked the lists, we could not find them there as well. There is no information from the college as well,' Rajasekhar, friend of Neredu Jagadish, who went missing said.
Two flights were arranged to help parents and relatives of the missing children reach the spot. While one was an Air India flight which left to Delhi at 10 am with 15 passengers and faculty of VNR VJIET, the second was an Air Costa plane which left to Chandigarh at 2.30 pm.
The parents and relatives who boarded the Air India flight were taken to the Telangana Bhavan in Delhi and further arrangements were made for them to reach the destination. Officials said choppers will be arranged to bring the bodies and survivors from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi.
News Posted: 10 June, 2014
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