The movements of trucks/tankers carrying essential commodities to be allowed to cross Zojila pass from March 29, along with protocol to be followed during the transaction of the vehicles. Saugat Biswas, Divisional Commissioner/ Secretary Transport UT Ladakh, issued an advisory on March 29. 

Following protocol will be followed during the transition of the vehicles into Ladakh:-

1. Only one driver and a helper will be allowed with each of the loaded trucks/tankers. Any driver or staff found showing symptoms of COVID-19 will be turned around with or without his vehicle from Meena marg COVID-19 check post.

2. Medical camp with screening facilities will be established at Meena-Marg by the District Administration Kargil for the screening of each driver and supporting staff thoroughly. Besides, the registration of drivers and helpers indicating their permanent address, contact number, origin and destination shall be recorded by the Incharge, Police Post Meena-Marg.

3. The trucks carrying food and vegetable items for Kargil district will be escorted in double escort system from Meena-Marg, to be organised by the IGP, Ladakh and will terminate at Khree Sultan Chow Stadium Bemathang distribution depot where the trucks will be offloaded. The Trucks carrying food grains of FCI will terminate at FCI Central Godown, Kargil. The escorts will be on guard and the vehicles will not be allowed to stop anywhere en-route to Kargil.

4. Assistant Labour Commissioner, Kargil will provide the required labour force for offloading the trucks at Khree Sultan Chow Stadium Bemathang, out of the registered labour force available. The empty trucks after offloading will park at, Bemathang Kargil under Police guard.

5. Vehicles coming to Leh will be allowed to move in a convoy and will be escorted under a double escort system to be organised by the IGP, Ladakh. The convoy will not stop anywhere other than at the designated camps en-route to Leh. The camps will have facilities of public convenience and light refreshment only.

6. These designated camps will be established by the respective District Administrations at Meena-Marg, Wakha and Likir.

7. On entry of the convoy in Leh town, they may break-up and move towards different locations in smaller convoys. IGP, Ladakh will facilitate separate police escorts for these smaller convoys which will stay with the vehicles till their departure from Leh.

8. On arrival at Leh, the trucks carrying food items will terminate at Choglamsar distribution depot where the trucks will be offloaded. The trucks carrying vegetables will also be offloaded at Choglamsar. The Trucks and Tankers carrying food grains of FCI and POL will terminate at FCI Central Godown, Leh and IOCL/ HPCL Depots respectively.

9. Police escorts will ensure strictly that the drivers and helpers will not interact with the local inhabitants both in Kargil and Leh, including labourers at any point including the point of offloading.

10. Assistant Labour Commissioner, Leh will provide the required labour force for offloading the trucks at Choglamsar, out of the registered labour force available. The empty trucks after offloading will park at Bomb Guard, Leh under Police guard.

11. The same protocol will be followed at the time of departure of the trucks/tankers from Kargil and Leh and the empty trucks will depart in a convoy escorted by the Police.

12. The Police escorts will see off the convoy at zero point at the Zojila pass.