Chief minister Hemant Soren has announced that the Jharkhand government would reimburse travel expenses of all Jharkhand residents who are stranded in war-ravaged Ukraine.

Announcing the decision on Twitter on Saturday, the day the officials managed to trace over 86 stranded individuals from Jharkhand, Hemant wrote, “Due to the tensions in Ukraine, many are stranded in the conflict zone. Those hailing from Jharkhand but are stranded and returning on their own cost will be reimbursed by the state government. The state government is making all the possible efforts in coordination with union government to help those stranded.”

The state government has so far managed to trace 86 people from Jharkhand stranded in Ukraine. The state IPRD department released the data based on calls it received at the control room which began functioning from Saturday.

Of the 86, 62 are men and 24 are women, officials said, adding that there were 13 people from Ranchi, 11 each from Sahebganj and Hazaribagh, 10 from East Singhbhum, three each from Bokaro and Garhwa, seven from Godda, two each from Latehar and Ramgarh, and one each from Khunti and Koderma.

"We are sending the details along with the coordinates of those stranded to the ministry of external affairs and the Indian Embassy in Ukraine to coordinate rescue efforts. Some of the people stranded have sent word that they were moving to the Poland border to make arrangements for their return on their own. We are in touch with them," said an official at the control room

Late last night, the state government announced a control room in Ranchi and rolled out helplines to record details of the stranded persons. The numbers are 0651-2481055/2480058/2480083/2482052/2481037/2481188 and 9470132591/9431336426/9431336398/9431336472/9431336432.

The control room has been set up at the state labour department-run migrant control room at Nepal House. A senior official at the control room said they had received about 30 calls till afternoon.

“Some students of this state contacted us via Whatsapp with their coordinates while many of their relatives approached us on landline. We are collecting everyone’s data to coordinate with the ministry of external affairs. Through the control room, we will also disseminate all the required advisories of the Union government related to the Ukraine crisis,” he said.