The mutton dealers of Kashmir Tuesday alleged that more than 200 trucks laden with sheep were stuck on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, while the traders from Parimpora mandi threatened to suspend their business from next week should the authorities fail to clear the trucks loaded with fruit and vegetables halted on the highway.
President, Parimpora fruit mandi, Bashir Ahmad Basheer toldGreater Kashmir that the dealers who suffered losses due to frequent nationalhighway closure during this winter have now become the victim of traffic”mismanagement” on the national highway.
“We are so distressed that we plan to go for an indefiniteshutdown from Monday, April 29, if the traffic mess is not sorted out and thetrucks stuck not cleared.”
He said they have given a written representation to theauthorities about their problems due to stoppage of trucks.
The traders said the highway closure for civilian trafficfor two days a week, and frequent stoppage of the trucks on the highway “hasput deep stress on apple growers and traders”.
“Trucks are being made to wait for days together on thenational highway which is hampering supplies to the valley and apple exportfrom here,” Basheer said.
As per mutton dealers, the authorities on the highway arenot allowing the trucks to proceed towards Srinagar, which has caused lossworth Rs 4 crore to the dealers. “More than 200 trucks laden with sheep arestranded on the national highway at Udhampur. This means almost 2500 sheep are stranded amounting to lakhs of rupees,”said General Secretary of All Kashmir Wholesale Mutton Dealers Association,Mehraj-ud-din Ganai.
“There is no end to harassment by the authorities to ourtruckers,” he alleged.
Several members of Kashmir Inc who spoke to Greater Kashmirsaid business has been hit due to closure of Jammu-Srinagar national highwaytwice-a-week for civilian traffic.
“The marriage season has already started but overall tradeactivity is quite subdued. Right since the winter there has been frequentclosure of highway which has hit daily trade in Kashmir,” said Muhammad Yaseen Khan,president, KTMF.
IG Traffic, Alok Kumar rejected the allegations ofharassment. “The movement of trucks on the national highway had to be stoppeddue to frequent landslides on two places since April 17,” he said.
“We are keen that goods traffic be given first preference.We also hopeful that some trucks can be diverted on Mughal Road as soon as thesnow clearance operations there are over,” said Kumar.