Jammu and Kashmir Socio Economic Coordination Committee on Monday said that state government needs to provide dependable alternative routes to connect the valley with rest of the world in order to avoid inconvenience to common people and losses to business community faced due to frequent closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
JKSECC, an amalgamation of bodies of trade, industrialist,travel, tour, tourism, horticultural, educational, contractors, pharmaceutical,houseboat, bakers, transporters and civil society formations, has askedgovernment to conduct loss assessment due to “unnecessary stoppage” of goodstrucks on the national highway. .
Addressing a press conference, Zahoor Tramboo, spokesperson,JKSECC said state government should constitute a competent committee for lossassessment due to frequent highway closures and twice-a-week ban on civiltraffic movement on the highway.
“They should make public the losses incurred by varioussegments of business caused due to highway interruptions by road widening andtwo-day ban during past one year,” said Tramboo.
The JKSECC also said urged Governor Satya Pal Malik to callfor an emergency meeting with his advisors, administrative secretaries andothers besides the stakeholders such as civil society to address the issue of”traffic mismanagement” on the national highway.
Addressing media, industrialist Shakeel Qalander said thehighway interruptions due to ongoing road widening works, inclement weather andgovernment ban is providing only one day a week to the traders for movement oftheir goods while “six days get wasted by stranding vehicles on highway”.
“This scenario has led to colossal socio-economic problemsadding to huge monetary losses and trauma of hapless traders, transporters andgeneral public,” said Qalander.
He said stranding of vehicles on national highway has caused10-15 percent mortality loss to the livestock, the perishable items arewitnessing up to 60 percent wastage. “On the export front, the horticultureproduce has suffered heavy losses as only 40 percent of the 65 lakh fruit boxestargeted for exports during the past 3 months could be released and transportedfrom CA stores,” he said. “The delaycaused in transportation of raw material has severely impacted the manufacturingsector besides the construction industry in the valley resulting in idle wagesand surge in establishment cost including bank interest.”
Qalander said the highway ban order has drastically reducedthe earnings of most of the 39000 private cab owners, 776 bus owners and 11500auto rickshaw owners of the affected areas in the valley.
“The highway ban on Wednesdays and Sundays has also impactedexpected tourist inflow to the valley as it interfered with the bookingschedule of tourists. Almost 100 percent escalation in aviation fares kept backthese tourists from taking an alternative mode of travelling,” he said.
Qalander said “sub-optional use” of the only highway has notonly escalated the prices of all commodities in the valley but has also putpeople to great inconvenience owing to the scarcity of essentials andnecessities including medicine. JKSECC ishighly concerned on this dwindling business scenario which has directlyimpacted the livelihood and employment. “The government and its variousagencies are to act in consonance with the public needs and convenience butunfortunately we witness its reverse in the state,” he said. “There seems to beno regards to the fundamental rights of the people to move freely which is incontrast to the democratic values and constitutional provisions ensuring suchrights.”