Over 2,000 students from Kota arrive at Gaya, Barauni junctions

Altogether 2,223 students stranded in Kota arrived at Gaya and Barauni railway junctions on three separate trains on Monday after travelling for 20 hours.

Altogether 2,223 students stranded in Kota arrived at Gaya and Barauni railway junctions on three separate trains on Monday after travelling for 20 hours.

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The first train arrived at Barauni junction around 5.30 am while the second train arrived at 11.30 am. Both trains had 22 coaches each. In each coach, 54 students were travelled

Begusarai’s district magistrate Arvind Kumar Verma and SP Awakash Kumar received the students, who were screened by doctors and given food packets by the district administration.

After health checkup and sanitisation of their luggage, the students boarded buses for their respective destinations.

“Since the lockdown was enforced, we parents have been approaching the district administration and lawmakers for permission to get our children back home,” said Anil Kumar Singh, resident of Khagaria and father of one of the students.

“Many hostel owners had asked our children to leave but we somehow managed to stay on,” Parikshit Sinha, another student haling from Banka, said on phone.

The DM said parents could take their wards home and follow 21-day quarantine at home for them as the district administration had limited living space.

At Gaya, the special train from Kota arrived with 994 students. Agriculture minister Prem Kumar received the students at the station. The maximum students (364) were from Gaya, followed by 259 from Nawada, 241 from Aurangabad, 93 from Jehanabad and 37 from Arwal. As the train stopped, GRP and RPF jawans helped the students with the screening process.

Sofia, a student of Munger district, said they were scared back in Kota as Covid cases there were rising fast and they had been asked to vacate the hostel. Besides, students from Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Assam had already left.

Many of the students seemed overpowered by emotions as they neared their homes. “We managed somehow with Maggie in the last few days, as the mess was closed and there was nothing available outside. Now, we will eat home made food,” said Pankaj Kumar of Barachatti.

Sajia Rehmani, another student, said there were only two girls from Bihar left in her hostel and it was getting difficult for them with each passing day.

“We are really thankful to all who contributed in bringing us here,” said Suraj Kumar Singh, a student.

Gaya district magistrate Abhishek Singh said most of the students did not show any symptoms during screening and all of them would be kept under home quarantine. “Their health will be monitored,” he said.