KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) lawmaker Dr Dila Sangraula has urged the the government to execute a special plan to repatriate the Nepalis stranded abroad at the earliest possible due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmaker Sangraula said that the government has repatriated home nearly 70 thousand Nepalis by operating costly chartered flights.

“There are still around 300 thousand Nepalis in the Gulf countries and Malaysia waiting to return home Nepal,” she said adding that thousands of women, unemployed and sick Nepalis are not in a position to buy plane ticket.

She said that it was regrettable the government has not started cost-free flights to bring home these helpless Nepalis, in spite of the Supreme Court order in that connection.

She also recalled that the Prime Minister and the Minister for Labour’s attention has been drawn from time to time on the need of promptly repatriating the Nepalis who are in difficult situation in foreign countries due to the COVID-19, in collaboration with the Nepali embassies, the NRNA chapters in the countries concerned, other social organisations and the labour network based in the Middle East.

Likewise, she has also urged the government to immediately identify the workers who are badly in need of rescue and make arrangements for, if possible, repatriating them free of cost and if not at minimum cost before the Dashain festival.

She has also called on the government to make arrangements for keeping the returnees in quarantine free of cost.