Direct hotels to charge foreign returnees only for 7 days & refund balance: MHA to states

Ministry of Home Affairs has written to states across country to ensure that earmarked hotels refund amount of remaining 7 days charged in vance to foreign returnees who have been quarantined. In a letter to all Chief Secretaries, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla apprised states that hotels have been charging Indian nationals with 14-day vance payments for quarantine facilities. However, as per revised guidelines issued by Health Ministry, foreign returnees are to be in institutional quarantine for 7 days followed by 7 days of home quarantine after medical assessment. Hence, individuals need t be charged for complete 14 days. 

"You are requested to issue necessary directions to hotels earmarked for institutional quarantine to ensure that foreign returnees who were quarantined in hotels and paid an vance of 14 days, shall be refunded ir balance amount, without any delay," Home Secy Ajay Bhalla wrote to Chief Secretaries. 

RE | S Jaishankar Chairs Review Meet Over 'Vande Bharat Mission'; Says Focus On Third Phase  

'Target to bring back 100,000 Indians'

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired a detailed meeting on Vande Bharat Mission on Tuesday. meeting was attended by officials from Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India, Ministry of Home Affairs, DMA and Bureau of Immigration. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar informed that focus of meeting was to ramp up scale of repatriation mission and to enhance its efficiency. 

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Highlighting 10 key points from meeting, Jaishankar informed that second phase of Vande Bharat Mission from May 17 to June 13 aims to bring back 100,000 stranded Indian citizens across 60 countries. ditionally, government is also preparing for a third phase of mission and reflected upon arrangements being me for amnesty beneficiaries in Gulf countries. 

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