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J&K CM Omar Abdullah arranges deluxe buses for evacuated students from Iran following transport concerns
The J&K administration had sent three buses to bring back its students. However, these buses were regular, non-air-conditioned run by Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC), many of which were reportedly in poor condition read more
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday ordered the arrangement of deluxe buses for Indian students who returned from Iran late at night. The first flight carrying 110 Indian nationals landed in New Delhi on Thursday night under Operation Sindhu.
As many as 90 students among the 110 people are from Jammu and Kashmir who were evacuated from the conflict-ridden zone in Iran. Before landing in India, the evacuees were flown to Armenia. They landed in the national capital early in the morning.
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'The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged,' a statement from J&K's CMO read.
The Chief Minister has taken note of the request of the students evacuated from Iran regarding the quality of buses arranged to transport them from Delhi to J&K. The Resident Commissioner has been tasked with coordinating with the JKRTC to ensure proper deluxe buses are arranged. — Office of Chief Minister, J&K (@CM_JnK) June 19, 2025
The move follows concerns raised by the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association over inadequate transportation to bring back the students from Delhi.
At the same time, while students from Jammu and Kashmir evacuated from war-torn Iran have thanked the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for their swift repatriation, many are disappointed with the lack of arrangements made by the Union Territory government for their onward journey to Kashmir.
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'We have been travelling for four days now. We were assured that we would be provided bus serviced till Srinagar,' a student said.
The J&K administration had sent three buses to bring back its students. However, these buses were regular, non-air-conditioned run by Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC), many of which were reportedly in poor condition.
More than 4,000 Indian nationals are living in Iran, and half of them are students. The first batch of evacuated nationals travelled by road to the Armenian capital, Yerevan, under the supervision of the Indian missions in Iran and Armenia.
With inputs from agencies