Relatives seek airlifting of Puducherry pilgrims

Relatives of around 50 pilgrims, including women, from here, who had embarked on a pilgrimage to Uttarakhand last month, have sought arrangements for airlifting them to Puducherry.
Although all the pilgrims, who were now staying in a hotel, were safe in the flood-ravaged State,Puducherry administration should immediately take steps to airlift them to Puducherry, some relatives told reporters here today.
The pilgrims had left here on May 28 and were expected to return in a few days but flood and landslides have landed them in an 'agonising' situation there, relatives said.
Velumurugan, a worried relative, said government should have opened a helpline and collected details of the pilgrims.

Some relatives welcomed the steps now taken by government such as deputing the Local Administration Minister N G Panneerselvam and also Special Representative of Puducherry to Uttarakhand for facilitating the safe return of the pilgrims.
Already the pilgrims were running short of money and with a good number of them complaining of ailments like blood pressure airlifting them would be of great help, said another relative of a pilgrim.