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Srinagar-Kargil-Leh bus service resumes

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Bus services on the 434km Srinagar-Leh National Highway via Drass and Kargil resumed this morning.

Chief Secretary Ashok Jaitly announced this while chairing a meeting of the committee of secretaries in Srinagar.

The joy of the passengers was palpable as they boarded the first bus for Kargil and Leh since the fighting began in the sector at the Srinagar Tourist Reception Centre.

"We have waited and waited for this bus to leave for Kargil. I am longing to see my parents who have shifted to Mingi. I have heard that they are safe, but I want to see them myself," said a student wiping the tears from his eyes, as he pleaded with the booking clerk to accommodate him in the first bus.

The Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation usually begins transporting civilians to Kargil and beyond from June 1 every year. This time, however, the service was held up by the Kargil conflict. As a result, those who could not afford the airfare from Srinagar to Leh, Kargil and Drass were stranded for more than a month.

Left to itself, the JKSRTC would not have resumed its services on the route even now. "But there was little choice. People were suffering. Some had no money left to continue in Srinagar," said Abdul Hamid, managing director of the corporation.

Hamid told rediff.com that only 20 persons -- students, employees of the state government, and passengers bound for Leh -- were allowed on board the first bus.

Sources said the Indian Army had cleared the use of the road for the bus service. But the administration had second thoughts as late as this morning after an oil tanker was hit by splinters at Kaksar yesterday, resulting in extensive damage.

"However, I thought we must take the risk seeing the suffering of the people stranded in Srinagar," Abdul Hamid said.

The booking office in-charge, Ghulam Mohammad, told rediff.com that 40 more passengers will leave for Leh via Kargil tomorrow if all goes well.

This evening, he was desperately trying to contact the manager at the Kargil TRC to confirm whether the bus had arrived safely. "This will be the biggest news we have had here in days," he said. "Everyone is concerned, but Inshallah, it will reach its destination this evening so that more buses leave tomorrow."

The meeting of the secretaries also reviewed the stock position of essential commodities in the Ladakh region.

Supplies for the year are dumped in Leh and Kargil districts during the summer months because roads in the region are closed in winter.

Jaitly asked the deputy commissioner of Leh division to fax a daily report to the Ladakh affairs department of the state government about the arrival of supplies at Leh via the Manali route also so that the stock position can be monitored on a daily basis.

He asked the finance department to make the requisite funds available to the JKSRTC to carry the supplies to Ladakh.

The meeting also took stock of the relief measures being taken for persons displaced by shelling from across the border at various places in the state.

Jaitly asked the public heath, engineering, and roads & buildings departments to monitor supplies of building material to Ladakh so that development works do not suffer.

Reviewing the arrangements for the forthcoming Amarnath yatra, the chief secretary ordered that an adequate number of tents and blankets be kept in reserve to meet any eventuality caused by inclement weather.

The Kargil Crisis

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