Toursits not eligible for compensation : AP
After the TDP chief grabbed lime light by organizing a special flight for Uttarkhand pilgrims from AP, the Kiran Government woke up to book a 170 seater - Boeing 737 of the Jet airways to bring 168 pilgrims home .
Decision was made soon after CM Kiran came to Delhi to make a show case of Government concern towards the stranded pilgrims though for days none of them were cared for and had to live in the AP Bhavan compound.
Delhi officials said the CMO had turned down their requests for permission to book flights and make other arrangements citing that ‘it was the responsibility of centre and Uttarkhand Government and not ours ‘. They were all termed as tourists and not stranded or flood hit persons eligible for compensation or compassion , said a GAD spokesman
An AP bhavan official said they sheltered the pilgrims risking their jobs as the CMO and GAD had instructed that all of them should be directly sent to railway stations instead of accommodating them.
Officially more than 7000 of AP pilgrims are still stranded while all other governments including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra , Gujarat , West Bengal, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh flew their people in dozens of special flights .