Bahrain: Rasmi Ranjan Sia, a stranded migrant worker from Odisha is excited. For, finally he will be able to reach his home land Odisha.

Rasmi was unemployed in the kingdom for the last four years. He failed the catch the first Vande Bharat Mission flight to Odisha as he was yet to receive his final payments from his employer.

Rasmi collected the last ticket for the day from the Air India office, here on Tuesday, to travel in the second flight from Bahrain to Bhubaneswar under the Government of India’s Vande Bharat Mission.

Rasmi has thanked Bahrain Odia Samaj founder Dr. Arun Praharaj for arranging the second Bande Bharat Mission flight to Odisha.

“I have been stranded away from home for far too long. My colleagues and I were in despair until Arun Bhai informed us about a second flight at a reduced price. We thank him and his team for the support they provided us during this difficult time”, he said.

Sia will be accompanied by several other travellers, mainly constituting of migrant workers who will fly to Bhubaneswar via Delhi on the 11th of July, 2020 by Air India Flight number AI 0940 at 1pm and the flight will land at 10.20pm night at the Biju Patnaik International Airport Bhubaneswar.

Passengers also expressed their joy over the significant reduction of the air fare which was taken into consideration after multiple requests were made by Dr. Praharaj.

Whilst the first flight from Bahrain to Bhubaneswar was priced at BD 146 (Rs.30,000/-), fares for the second have been reduced to BD 126 (Rs. 26,000/-).

“The reduction has definitely made it possible for us to go back home at a much more affordable rate,” said one passenger.

Dr. Praharaj was present at the Air India ticket collecting booth along with his Executive Committee members, Subas Sahoo, Himanshu Taldi , Arunita and Sunita Praharaj when the tickets were issued for the Air India flight for Bhubaneswar.

Dr. Praharaj along with his committee members and all stranded Odias expressed his heartfelt gratitude to union petroleum minister Dhramendra Pradhan, Odisha chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, Odisha minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, joint secretary of ministry of external affairs Rahul Shrivastava and the Indian Embassy in Bahrain for their support.