369 stranded students reach J-K from Kota, heading to their home districts

A group of 369 students, hailing from different districts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, reached here on Monday from Kota in Rajasthan onboard 15 SRTC buses, officials said.

Soon after their arrival, they were screened for COVID-19 and later allowed to proceed to their home districts in the two Union Territories where they would undergo administrative quarantine before joining their families, the officials said.

They said six students from Kargil, who also completed their quarantine period of 14 days in Kathua, also joined the group from Ladakh.

"The Jammu and Kashmir government had dispatched 15 SRTC buses three days back to bring back 369 students who were left stranded in Kota due to the lockdown. The students entered Jammu and Kashmir this (Monday) morning, District Development Commissioner, Kathua, O P Bhagat, who himself received the students, said.

He said all the students were screened by the special team of doctors and later allowed to move towards their respective districts.

"Eight buses with students of Kashmir and Ladakh left for Srinagar. Six students of Kargil, who had completed administrative quarantine in Kathua, also boarded the Ladakh-bound bus," he said.

Officials said a group of 57 students from Ladakh is travelling from Kota to their home districts.

Bhagat said all the students would go through mandatory administrative quarantine as a precautionary measure after reaching their home districts .