Traders operating from fruit mandi Parmpora will suspend business for a day on Monday as a mark of protest against “forced stoppage of trucks by the traffic authorities” on Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
Traders in a press conference held under the banner ofKashmir Economic Alliance (C) here on Sunday said they are facing huge lossesdue to the ‘mismanagement” on the only surface link connecting Kashmir with therest of the country.
Addressing the press conference, which was also attended bymutton dealers, president of traders’ association Parimpora fruit mandi, BashirAhmad Basheer said that dealers who suffered losses due to frequent nationalhighway closure during this year’s winter are now forced to shut downbusinesses due to ‘mismanagement’ of traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar nationalhighway.
“Traders are so distressed that we plan to shut down themandi on Monday, April 29. We have given a written representation to theauthorities about our problems due to stoppage of trucks. Our truckers arebeing asked to pay bribes on the highway that must end,” Basheer said, adding,the news about transfers of highway traffic is a good step.
General Secretary of All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton DealersAssociation, Mehraj-ud-din Ganai, said, “There are many weddings scheduledduring next two days but trucks carrying sheep are not being allowed to plysmoothly to the Valley. Now-a-days a group of commission agents is forcingtruck drivers to pay Rs 1500 per truck on highway at Udhampur. Besides, thereis also no end to harassment from highway authorities to our truckers,” hesaid.
The mutton crisis on this time of the year amid weddingseason and forthcoming Ramadhan is creating huge problem for the muttondealers, who have committed delivery to the people, he said. The authoritiesnot allowing the trucks to proceed on the highway towards Srinagar frequentlyduring last fortnight has caused losses worth Rs 6 crore to mutton dealers.
Chairman of his faction of KEA, Muhammad Yusuf Chapri saidbusiness has been hit due to closure of the highway twice-a-week for civiliantraffic. A revival which was expected “especially after a dull winter season ofbusiness,” has not taken place due to frequent closures of the highway, hesaid.
“Right since the winter there has been frequent closure ofhighway which has hit daily trade making Kashmir economy suffer losses ofalmost Rs 95 crore daily,” said Chapri, adding, delay in arrival of goods iseven affecting the marriage season.