Gyal P Wangyal, CEC, Hill Council, Leh convened meeting with the concerned agencies regarding evacuation of stranded passengers in Himachal Pradesh by Manali-Leh road at Council Secretariat on May 19.

He also reviewed the ongoing efforts in the evacuation of patients and elderly people stranded in Delhi, Chandigarh, and Jammu by flights.

Tsering Sandup, Deputy Chairman; Phuntsog Stanzin, EC Agriculture / Facilitation Officer for evacuation of stranded Ladakhi passengers; Sachin Kumar, DC, Leh; Punchok Dorjey, Councillor Phyang / Facilitation Officer; Rafiq Giri, SP Traffic Ladakh; Col Abishek Khanna, CDR 753 BRTF; Suresh Kumar Chib, Addl. SP Leh and OSD to Div. Commissioner Ladakh Zakir Hussain were present in the meeting.

Zakir Hussain said that the evacuation of patients and elderly people stranded in Delhi is in advance stage. Office of Div Com Ladakh is in touch with all the concerned higher authorities for the earliest evacuation of stranded patients.

Gyal P Wangyal directed OSD to Divisional Commissioner, Ladakh to ensure identification of patients and completion of paper works at the earliest. He asked arrangements of two flights from Delhi to evacuate stranded patients and elderly people completely. Also, asked o arrange flights from Chandigarh and Jammu to airlift patients.

Regarding evacuation of stranded passengers from Himachal Pradesh by Manali-Leh road, DC Leh, Sachin Kumar said that the district administration Leh is ready to receive passengers from Manali provided that Himachal Pradesh govt. permits movement of buses towards Leh.

Gyal P Wangyal directed OSD to Div. Commissioner Ladakh to communicate with concern higher authorities of Himachal Pradesh state at the earliest.

Traffic movement on the Manali-Leh route including the deployment of police personnel at Serchu and other key locations to ensure safe movement of vehicles as per the MHA guidelines, deployment of police escort vehicles was discussed. Also, accommodation for homecoming passengers at Keylong, arrangement of food and refreshment at Pang and Upshi, establishment of screening point at Upshi, sanitization of vehicles at Upshi and identification of location for trans-shipment of truckloads were discussed.