Odisha Govt appoints officers to aid stranded Odias in Middle East

Bhubaneswar, Mar 11: The Odisha government has appointed three contact officers to coordinate rescue and safety measures for Odias stranded in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict in the region.

The decision was taken during a review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anu Garg to assess the safety of Non-Resident Odias (NROs) living or travelling in the Middle East.

Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyay, Director of the Odia Parivar Directorate and Secretary of the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; Sucharita Sadangi, Additional Resident Commissioner in New Delhi; and Pritish Panda, Nodal Officer, have been appointed as contact officers to oversee coordination and assistance efforts.

The Office of the Resident Commissioner in New Delhi has been designated as the nodal office for the matter. It will coordinate with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and regularly update the Odisha government regarding developments related to the safety and rescue of Non-Resident Odias.

Officials said the Protector of Emigrants, a Government of India agency responsible for the welfare of overseas Indians, will also remain in contact with Odias working abroad and assist in rescue and protection efforts.

Considering the volatile situation in the Middle East, the Chief Secretary directed all concerned departments and officials to remain alert and continue monitoring the situation closely.

The meeting was attended virtually by Resident Commissioner in New Delhi Vishal Gagan and Additional Resident Commissioner Sucharita Sadangi. Secretary of the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department and Director of the Odia Parivar Directorate Dr. Bijay Ketan Upadhyay, along with nodal officer Pritish Panda, also participated in the discussion.

Vishal Gagan informed the meeting that security concerns in the airspace and aviation sectors in the Middle East remain a major challenge. He also briefed officials about discussions held with the MEA and the steps being taken to facilitate safe travel for stranded Indians.

According to information from the MEA as of March 9, around 65,000 overseas Indians have safely returned to the country through special civil aviation arrangements.

Among them were 35 Odia tourists who had been stranded in Dubai due to airspace closures. Of them, nine tourists returned to Bhubaneswar via Kochi on March 7, while the remaining 24 reached Bhubaneswar on March 8 after arriving in Mumbai on a special Air India Express flight.

Dr. Upadhyay said the Odia Parivar Directorate has received around 200 phone calls from Odias residing in the Middle East. The callers were connected to the special control room toll-free helpline set up by the MEA, along with contact numbers of Indian embassies in the region.

In addition, the directorate coordinated calls with Odia associations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain to provide assistance to those in need.

Earlier, on March 2, 2026, the Odisha government had constituted a high-level committee headed by the Chief Secretary to address issues related to Odias stranded in the Middle East.