An “evacuation service charge” of $40 per head would be collected from Indians embarking on Naval ships from the Maldives, the Indian High Commission said. The charge, described by officials as reasonable and nominal, marks the first time passengers being evacuated by the Navy have been charged. UAE ‘ready to repatriate stranded Indians’The Navy said INS Jalashwa had arrived off the port of Male on Thursday morning. This is the first of the two ships sent to the Maldives under Operation Samudra Setu launched by the Navy for the evacuation of Indians stranded due to the pandemic. The ship has been provided relief and coronavirus (COVID-19) protection material as well as medical and administrative support staff, the Navy added.

Source: The Hindu May 07, 2020 17:25 UTC