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| Despite ban, private buses from other states enter Jammu everyday | | COVID-19 guidelines thrown to winds, travelers asked to declare themselves as pilgrims | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 18: Despite entry of interstate buses being banned into the J&K UT over two dozen vehicles of private operators have been entering Jammu through Lakhanpur without any restrictions. The entry of interstate buses was banned after the outbreak of COVID-19.
Sources informed Early Times that after the resumption of public transport on the instructions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the entry of inter-state buses including the buses run by the public transport corporations of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan Corporation was banned into J&K. These buses could ply only upto J&K border.
The commuters, according to the guidelines, have to disembark at Madhopur and then undergo COVID-19 test at Lakhanpur and then board buses run by Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) to enter into J&K UT.
However, over two dozen buses of private operators (including luxury buses with sleeper coaches) have been making to and fro rounds from Lakhanpur to reach Jammu without any hurdle. “As per an estimate over two dozen private buses carrying passengers to and fro from Ludhiana, Amritsar, Chandigarh and Delhi reach Jammu everyday”, sources said, adding that even the timings of these private buses have been fixed so that they get a “safe passage” through Lakhanpur.
“At Lakhanpur, administration has established a separate counter for Vaishno Devi pilgrims, where the passengers have to make self declaration. In connivance with the local agents, the bus-operators have instructed the passengers to present themselves as pilgrims in the self-declaration forms. Though the police personnel deputed at the checkpoints are aware of the matter but allow these buses to ply for the reasons best known to them”, sources said, adding that during day-time the private bus operators park their vehicles in different parking areas and during late evening hours, collect passengers from Jammu bus-stand.
Deputy Incharge Lakhanpur Arun Kumar Manhas said that the issue doesn’t fall within his domain. However he said that the inter-state buses cannot cross Lakhanpur.
Deputy Excise Commissioner Ranjit Singh said that a separate counter for Vaishno Devi Pilgrims was established where the passengers have to make self declaration. However Singh said that Deputy Commissioner Kathua could be in a better position to answer the query about entry of buses.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua OP Bhagat was not available for comments as his phone was busy despite repeated calls. |
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