HRTC bus brings back students from J-K

As many as 40 students stranded in Jammu and Kashmir have been brought back through a special Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus. The students were brought back to Kangra through the special bus on Saturday afternoon. From Kangra, they have gone to their home.

As per an HRTC spokesperson, the state government had received information on May 9 that approximately 40 students from the state, studying in the Agriculture University in Kashmir and other institutions, were stranded following the outbreak of hostilities between India and Pakistan. The HRTC was tasked with facilitating their safe return.

In the middle of the active hostilities and security concerns in the Jammu and Pathankot area, a special HRTC bus was dispatched to Jammu in close coordination with the law and order authorities of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. The spokesperson said that further coordination was carried out with the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC), which arranged for the students’ travel from Srinagar to Jammu. “The students reached Jammu late on the night of May 9. In the light of ongoing ceasefire violations, a decision was taken to arrange overnight accommodation for them in Jammu,” said the spokesperson.

“The state government and HRTC worked closely with the J&K administration to ensure proper food and lodging facilities for the students during their stay,” he said. After a night’s rest, the special HRTC bus brought the students back to Kangra bus stand, where they arrived safely around 2 pm on May 10. The students have since dispersed to their respective homes.