The first repatriation flight from Bangladesh to Kolkata, carrying 160 people, will arrive here on Monday, capping days of wordy duel between the West Bengal government and the Centre on the issue.
The flight under Vande Bharat' mission will arrive at Kolkata International Airport here from Dhaka on May 18.
The development will hopefully bring down curtains on political row between the state government and the Ministry of External Affairs for the last two days, after Bengal alleged that the centre was discriminating between states in terms of deploying repatriation flights for residents of different states.
Denying the charge, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said the Centre does not differentiate between states, and its 'Vande Bharat' mission is for all stranded Indians.
Adding fuel to the fire, the state government on Friday said it had "long back" communicated to the Centre the preparations made to welcome back people stranded abroad, while replying to the Union government's assertion that repatriation flights can be facilitated to Kolkata if Bengal confirms the arrangements to receive and quarantine passengers.
West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay on Saturday said the first repatriation flight from abroad -- Dhaka -- would be arriving in the city on May 18.
The state government has informed External Affairs and Civil Aviation ministries about the arrangements made in the city for those onboard following the relaxation of lockdown norms.
The passengers would go on the mandatory, 14-day quarantine upon arriving in Kolkata, Bandopadhyay said.
The state government has already shared the list of hotels which it has earmarked for pay-and-use quarantine stay and also those arranged by the government for free, he said.
"I hope these arrangements will streamline the return of travellers", he said.
More repatriation flights will arrive in the city, and the government has made provisions for buses, app cabs and pre-paid taxis to transfer passengers from the airport, he added.
Indians stranded in various countries due to COVID-19-driven restrictions are being brought back in special flights under the Union government's Vande Bharat' mission.
Senior TMC leader and state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee welcomed the development and said it should have taken place long back.
"The repatriation flights should have arrived long back. But better late than never," he said.
The issue of deployment of repatriation flights for Bengal had fanned the ongoing Centre-state confrontation, after Chatterjee on Thursday night alleged that the Union government was discriminating between states in terms of allotting repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat' mission.
The MEA had denied the charge within a few hours with its spokesperson, Anurag Srivastava, tweeting, "The MEA does not discriminate between states. GOI's Vande Bharat Mission is for all stranded Indians, including those from West Bengal."
"Will gladly facilitate flights to Kolkata if the state government will confirm arrangements to receive and quarantine. Will also help in return of West Bengal residents through land borders with neighbours. We hope to receive an early response on the matter. @MoCAGoI @HomeSecretaryWB," Srivastava had tweeted.
The state Home Department replied that it had "long back" communicated to the Union government the preparations made by it to welcome back people stranded abroad.
It also shared the two letters written by West Bengal Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on May 8 and 11.
The letters mention the details regarding preparations for institutional quarantine facilities for foreign returnees.
Srivastava later replied to the tweet, saying the MEA welcomed the willingness of the West Bengal government to accept the returnees from abroad and requested early confirmation of modalities to be followed upon the arrival of passengers at the Kolkata airport.
The exchange of words on the allotment of International flights had come close on heels of the Centre and the state sparring on running of 'Special Shramik' trains to ferry stranded migrant workers hailing from Bengal back home.
The West Bengal government was last week rapped by the Centre for not allowing trains to ferry migrants, stranded in other states.
The state government had denied the charge and said it had already requisitioned trains to bring back migrant labourers.
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