SRINAGAR: Minister for Health & Medical Education, Social Welfare and Higher Education, Sakeena Itoo, on Sunday dedicated transport buses to five Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) in Kashmir to improve accessibility for students from remote areas.
The beneficiary colleges include GDC Kupwara, Sopore, Tangmarg, DH Pora and Tulail. The flag-off ceremony was held at Abdul Ahad Azad Memorial College, Bemina.
Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, along with MLA Tangmarg Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah and MLA Sopore Irshad Rasool Kar, attended the event.
Speaking at the function, the Minister said the initiative aims to ease daily commute challenges faced by students in far-flung regions. She noted that a similar exercise was recently carried out in the Jammu division, where five colleges were also provided buses.
“The government is committed to strengthening the education sector by ensuring necessary facilities, including reliable transport, are available at government institutions,” she said, adding that plans are underway to extend this support to more colleges across Jammu and Kashmir.
Itoo also acknowledged the role of JK Bank, which provided the buses under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme. She described the bank’s support as a meaningful step toward facilitating students’ access to education.
Senior officials from the Higher Education Department, representatives from J&K Bank, college principals, faculty members, NCC cadets and students were present at the ceremony.
