Going above and beyond: Minister Nara Lokesh personally coordinates evacuation of Telugus stuck in Nepal

Amaravati, Sept 2025 : Andhra Pradesh Minister for Real Time Governance Nara Lokesh has intensified efforts to bring back Telugu citizens stranded in Nepal, personally coordinating evacuation operations with central agencies, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu and local authorities.

According to official data, 217 Telugu people have been traced across 12 locations in Nepal. Of these, 173 are in Kathmandu, 22 in Hetauda, 10 in Pokhara and 12 in Simikot near the Nepal–China border. Among them are 118 women and 99 men, with the largest groups from Visakhapatnam (42), Vizianagaram (34) and Kurnool (22).

First group moved to Bihar border

On Wednesday, the first batch of 22 citizens from Hetauda was safely moved to the Bihar border at Motihari with military assistance. Officials in Bihar have been instructed to facilitate their immigration and onward travel to Andhra Pradesh.

Evacuation plan in place

With curfew restrictions in Kathmandu set to ease, evacuation flights are scheduled to begin on Thursday. An IndiGo flight from Delhi will reach Kathmandu at 10 am and carry passengers to Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada once boarding procedures are completed.

Kathmandu: 173 citizens staying in hotels within 1 to 4.5 kilometres of the airport will be escorted under Nepal Army security. Boarding passes are being readied.

Simikot: 12 citizens will be flown by Buddha Air to Nepalgunj near the UP border at 9 am. Helicopters are on standby if required.

Pokhara: Efforts are underway to arrange a 14-seater charter flight to Nepalgunj, subject to Nepalese Air Force clearance, followed by road travel to Lucknow.

Hetauda: The first 22 citizens have already been moved toward Motihari on the Bihar border.

Minister in constant review

Minister Lokesh cancelled his Anantapur tour and reached the Secretariat by 10 am, setting up a war-room at the RTG Center. He reviewed the situation with Chief Secretary Vijay Anand and senior IAS officers including Kartikeya Mishra, Mukesh Kumar Meena, Kona Shashidhar, Ajay Jain, Himanshu Shukla and Jayalakshmi. He also held a video conference with AP Bhavan officials in New Delhi to monitor arrangements.

Direct communication with stranded citizens

Minister Lokesh has been speaking to groups of stranded people via video call to reassure them. He interacted with Visakhapatnam resident Surya Prabha, who is among pilgrims stranded in Muktinath, and with Rozarani leading a group of 84 citizens staying at Royal Kusum Hotel near Pashupatinath Temple. He also spoke with Hemasundar Rao and Nagalakshmi from Mangalagiri, who, along with 40 others, are sheltering at Pashupati Front Hotel after their bus came under attack.

“I assure you that you will all be brought home safely. Please remain where you are and stay calm,” Minister Lokesh told them, promising that the state government is working round-the-clock with the Indian government and Nepalese authorities.

Helplines for families

Families of those stranded can reach out for information and assistance through the following helplines:

Embassy of India, Kathmandu: +977 9808602881 / +977 9810326134 (calls and WhatsApp)

AP Bhavan, New Delhi: +91 9818395787

Real Time Governance (RTG), Amaravati: 08632381000, Extensions 8001 and 8005

APNRTS 24/7 Helpline: 0863 2340678 | WhatsApp +91 8500027678 | Email: helpline@apnrts.com, info@apnrts.com

The Andhra Pradesh government has assured that every effort is being made to safely evacuate all 217 citizens and return them to their districts at the earliest.