BANIHAL, March 2: Supplies are trickling towards the Kashmir Valley with Jammu-Srinagar 300 kilometer National Highway thrown open for one-way traffic after its closure of 12 days.
Till last evening 692 trucks carrying essentials crossed Banihal while about 400 were on way since this morning.
Giving this information to Governor, Lt.
Gen (Retd) S K Sinha this morning during his visit to the town, the local administration said they were working in synergy with the Army with focused attention on ensuring the safe movement of essential commodities to the Valley.
The prominent citizens of the town, which rose to occasion by providing much needed succor to the stranded passengers at the hour of crisis, came in large numbers to meet the Governor for expressing their gratitude to him for having visited the area twice during the week.
They were very appreciative of the Army in taking up relief and rescue measures on the mountains particularly in Mahou Mangat, Neil and Ladi villages and said they had known the men in uniform only triggering guns but they were overwhelmed to see them as sharing their agonies and helping them out of miseries.
'By shedding the jargon of Head of the State and at 80, you have proved yourself to be the leader of the crisis by standing amid us during the hour of need', said Abdul Rasheed Sheikh; to which the Governor observed that he was only fulfilling his duties as the first Khidmatgaar of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
He said that coordination between the Army and Civil Administration was imperative to meet the challenge.
The Governor also made a mention of the roles being played by the Army and the militants to this disaster and said while the former were braving all odds and risks to rescue the people, the latter were taking vicarious pleasure in unleashing terror to hamper the relief operations.
He said that terrorists were desperate after finding no support coming from the people in recent years and said that their anti-peace acts had given a clear message to the masses as to who is a friend and who is a foe.
Responding to the local problems, the Governor said that he has advised the Chief Minister to arrange free rations to daily wage earned below poverty line when due to snowfall they are denied their means of livelihood.
Mr Abdul Khaliq, a local advocate lauded the efforts of the Governor in taking their care and demanded special provision for development of the area.
He demanded a degree college at Ramban and stepping up of developmental activities in Banihal.
Mr Khaliq informed the Governor that the poor people of Banihal rose to the occasion and provided shelter to groups of stranded people for five to six days in their houses.
'These Pahari people might get unnoticed in plains by the city dwellers in normal times but on the face of the Nature's fury they demonstrated the immense glory of humanity by helping them out', he said.
The Governor responded by saying that for this exemplary human approach, he had come personally to thank them.
General Sinha complimented Border Roads Organisation for braving the vagaries of weather and clearing the highway by putting in their best during days and nights.
He had an aerial view of the restoration work on the highway at various points.
The Governor could not, however, land North of the tunnel due to poor visibility.
