The Indian Consulate in New York comes to the rescue of a 26-year old Mumbai resident stuck in New Jersey. The consulate has agreed to bear the flight ticket costs of Aliasgar Merchant, who was stuck there after having lost his Job in March amid coronavirus outbreak.
Merchant, a blockchain developer with a US bases company told the Free Press Journal that he did not have enough money to buy a flight ticket worth $1,361 (₹1,02,929) ticket to fly back under the Vande Bharat Mission. Merchant then wrote to the Indian embassy to help him so that he can leave before July 12, when his work permit expires, to avoid staying illegally in the US.
In March, Merchant was retrenched due to losses suffered by his company during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and has since been looking for employment opportunities. However, unable to find a job, he has exhausted all his savings. Merchant had gone to the US in 2017 to pursue a master’s degree in information technology and was working there since. “Currently, i don't have enough money to even pay my rent for the month of July. My work permit expires on July 12 since I have not yet found a job. None of the several companies I applied to is willing to hire new talent, especially amid the Pandemic," said Merchant.
He added, “When I initially approached the Indian Consulate in New York, my name was recommended on the flight scheduled to leave for Mumbai on June 29. However, Air India asked me to pay $1,361 for the flight ticket and directed me to contact the Indian embassy/consulate if I wanted the ticket charges to be waived due to my financial crisis."
On June 26, Merchant tweeted for help to the Indian embassy in New York when he was told that the airline could not waive the ticket charges.
The US Consulate General of India in New York reverted to Merchant on Sunday night and asked him to submit his bank statement and salary slip. "I then emailed the embassy last week, asking for help on humanitarian grounds, so that I can return to Mumbai. I submitted my last salary slips and my bank account statements to the embassy. Following this I received a call on July 1 from the airlines, telling me that my tickets are scheduled. I am very thankful to the authorities for this timely help. I have received the copy of tickets and itinerary on my email,” he added.
While a handful of flights are scheduled to arrive in Delhi from San Francisco and New York’s John F Kennedy (JFK) International Airport as part of the fourth phase of Vande Bharat Mission, more departing flights have been scheduled to these destinations.
