Thiruvananthapuram, May 6 (IANS): Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V. Muraleedharan, on Tuesday said that an online platform will be launched very soon which will give real time data of all the Indian nationals stranded abroad who will now be flown back to the country.

The Centre has decided to operate 64 flights starting May 7 to bring back Indians stranded in the Middle East countries, the UK, the US, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Philippines.

The lone Keralaite in the Narendra Modi cabinet, Muraleedharan revealed about the app while taking part in a television debate.

"We had seen a trial run of this online platform and few more things have to be fixed and it will be ready very soon. This online platform will be accessed by the concerned departments and officials who are taking part in this evacuation process, which will begin from Thursday," said Muraleedharan.

"This online platform will contain the details of each and every person who will be boarding the flights. This is to make things easy for all who are working in this mission," added Muraleedharan.

Muraleedharan also contested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's statement that was made in his daily Covid-19 review press meet and expressed his surprise about the figures that Vijayan gave.

"Do not know from where Vijayan got the figures that only 80,000 Keralaites will be evacuated. In fact, Kerala had given a list of seven categories who should be brought back first, and we have even added one more category (those who have lost their near and dear ones back home). He (Vijayan) was also saying that no evacuation flight will come to the Kannur airport. No such decision has been taken on it so far," said Muraleedharan.