445 people from various states stranded in Mizoram: CM

At least 445 people from various states are stranded in Mizoram due to the nationwide lockdown that began from March 25 to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga said on Thursday.

He said the stranded people are lodged at various relief camps and the state government was providing all possible assistance, including foods.

Zoramthanga said hundreds of Mizos are also stranded in different parts of the country due to the ongoing lockdown.

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He said that his government is in close contact with the other state governments to give humanitarian aid to the stranded Mizos as per the Centres directive.

The chief minister expressed an apology to the Mizos, who stranded in the Northeast, for failing to bring them home due to the extension of nationwide lockdown.

Before the extension of the nationwide lockdown, the Mizoram government had decided to make elaborate arrangement to ensure the return of those Mizoram residents, who are stranded in different parts of the Northeast region.

"Although we have planned to bring back the Mizos stranded in the Northeast when our government announced the extension of lockdown on April 13, we could not execute the plan because the Centre extended the nationwide lockdown till May 3 and prohibited inter-district and inter-state movement," he said.

Urging the stranded Mizos to stay where they are, Zoramthanga said the state government would make effort to take back all the stranded state residents once lockdown is over and normalcy returned in the country.