CEC Kargil thanks Centre as pilgrims safely return from Iran, amid COVID-19 scare

On Sunday, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), LAHDC, Kargil Feroz Ahmed Khan expressed gratitude to the Central government for ensuring the safe return of three batches of pilgrims who were stranded in Iran amid COVID-19 outbreak. A total of 487 pilgrims in Iran, including 458 from Kargil and 29 from Leh district, were rescued in three batches through a special aircraft of the Indian Air Force on April 21, 22, and 23.

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Kargil authorities thank the Government 

During a media briefing, the heads of influential religious organisations in Kargil along with the CEC thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs and all other concerned ministries and officers for providing proper medical care and necessary facilities to the pilgrims at their quarantine centres set up by the Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) in Ghaziabad, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.

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"Pilgrims of Kargil who were stuck in Iran due to the infection outbreak were first evacuated from Iran and were then quarantined at various quarantine centres for nearly a month. Now they have been airlifted here in an Indian Air Force plane. They were looked after properly at the various quarantine centres. We thank everybody for this great effort," the CEC said.

He said that the pilgrims will further undergo administrative quarantine for 14 days before returning to their homes to ensure their safety. The Kargil authorities further appealed to the Centre to rescue more than 300 pilgrims who are still in Iran at the earliest.

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(With inputs from ANI)