Sunday, February 20 2005 19:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: True to the Kashmiri tradition, Jammu and Kashmir Government today (Feb 20, 2005) ordered free food and stay to the tourists stranded in JK due to heaviest snowfall in the valley in the 15 years.

Taking cognizance of the reports that tourists in various hotels had run out of money and were facing lot of hardships, Finance Minister Muzaffar Hussain Baig asked District Development Commissioner, Srinagar to arrange for free food and stay of the tourists who have run out of money.

He spared some time from his tight schedule and visited hotels in the city and interacted with the tourists held up here due to cancellation of air services to and from Srinagar and closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for the third straight day today.

Later taking to mediapersons, Baig said the administration was working on a war footing to tackle the situation arising out due to unprecented dnowfall in the valley.

He said the gravest problem facing the valley was the breakdown of the power supply due to snowfall. All the three transmission lines importing power to the valley from northern grid have got damaged due to avalanches.

The Minister, who is camping in the summer capital to monitor the situation arising due to unprecedented snowfall in the valley said, the power development department was working round the clock to ensure supply of electricity, at least for the essential services, at the earliest.

He said in case of any emergency, additional quota of kerosene oil, petrol and diesel would be requestioned from the Army.