“Of the total, 145 buses were dedicated to transporting people from Baramulla district to the rally venue”
SRINAGAR: The city witnessed a monumental mobilization effort as 900 government buses were marshalled to ferry attendees to the rally addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 7.
This was admitted by a senior official of the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC).
Earlier, it was reported that about 7,000 government employees, teachers and J&K Bank staffers were ordered to attend the rally, asked to assemble at the different designated spots before the crack of dawn, where fleets of buses including those from private schools were deployed to corral them into the buses and ferry them to the destination of the venue.
Syed Serajuddin, an official from the Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC), has now confirmed the deployment of 900 buses, emphasizing their usage across Kashmir division.
Of the total, 145 buses were dedicated to transporting people from Baramulla district to the rally venue.
Serajuddin’s remarks were self-congratulatory as he highlighted the meticulous planning involved, with senior officers designated as nodal officers in each district.
“Despite adverse weather conditions, the corporation’s staff, including drivers and ground personnel, played a pivotal role in ensuring smooth operations, earning commendation for their dedication,” he told a local news agency, KNS.
“In fact, the entire corporation’s staff and machinery was well prepared for this event. Each employee of the corporation deputed for the task, particularly drivers, and ground staff of all districts contributed significantly despite shivering cold and rainy weather conditions for which they all deserve appreciation,” he said.
He added that the General Manager of Operations Kashmir Showkat Ahmad Ahangar, who was leading the operation “utilized the corporation resources effectively and efficiently.”
“A separate control room was exclusively established by the department in Srinagar Headquarters for monitoring the overall ground situation and proper coordination with all Nodal Officers,” he said.
Former chief ministers, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, criticised what they called “herding” of employees and marshalling them off to prime minister’s rally venue at Bakshi Stadium to create the optics of enthusiastic support for Modi in run up to the parliamentary elections.
Modi’s rally in Srinagar, his first since the abrogation of Article 370, holds significant weight ahead of the parliamentary elections. While officials state his visit is primarily to inaugurate and announce a series of development projects, the underlying narrative of Kashmir’s role in BJP’s electoral strategy cannot be overlooked.
The Modi-government is intensifying efforts to portray Kashmir as stable and peaceful following the revocation of its autonomy. Observers perceive this visit and the projection of a grand rally where Modi spoke about the ‘smiling faces and enthusiasm of Kashmiris’ as a continuation of the same agenda.
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