A top traffic official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that from last 24 hours (down traffic movement), a total number of 10074 Heavy Motor Vehicles crossed Qazigund through Jammu-Srinagar national highway in which 8820 were fruit laden trucks.

He said amid inclement weather conditions, they managed to cross these vehicles day and night in 24 hours.

“Over 10000 HMVs including 8820 fruit laden trucks released through Navyug and Jawahar Tunnels during the past 24 hours. Chief Secretary compliments all functionaries and asks them to keep up momentum,” Information & PR, J&K tweeted.

Pertinently, the Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta had directed the department to clear the stranded within 24 hours along the national highway.

The post 8820 fruit-laden trucks among 10,000 HMVs cross Qazigund in last 24 hours: Officials appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

It has described the report as unfounded, misleading and mischievous. In a statement a spokesperson of J&K Traffic Police Headquarter  in response to the published news item by the newspaper said  that as per the data collected by NHAI at the Qazigund toll plaza 51,306 trucks including 33,105 apple carrying trucks moved from Qazigund to other parts of the country via Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH 44)  from September 1 to September 30.

The spokesperson said that the entire backlog of trucks at Qazigund was cleared on September 26. He said that the daily flow of apple trucks from Kashmir valley to other parts of the country is only 1100 apple trucks per day not the higher figures of 2000 or 2500 apple trucks per day as is being claimed by vested interests. He adds that the daily flow of trucks from the Kashmir Valley towards Jammu and other parts of the country is only about 1600 trucks per day.

Keeping in view  that the Down HMV traffic moves on alternate days, the maximum stranded trucks at Qazigund is only 1600 trucks unless the Down movement is hampered by partial or complete closure of the NH 44 due to shooting stones, landslides or repair work, reads the official handout.

Due to the shooting stones from September 24 to September 30, the National Highway remained blocked for 35 hours and five minutes while for repair works it remained closed for 17 hours and 31 minutes, the statement reads.

It may be noted that NHAI had requested for no traffic window of 4 hours per day for 5 days starting 24th Sept 2022, for repair works which were allowed by the Government, reads the statement.

The post [MOVEMENT FROM SEP 1 TO SEP 30]
33,105 apple trucks moved from Qazigund to other parts of country via highway: Traffic Police appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

“We appeal to the government to ensure free movement of trucks. The government should ensure a mechanism so that the movement of the trucks goes on smoothly for the whole season,” KCCI president Sheikh Aashiq told reporters here.

Aashiq said the economy of the Kashmir Valley will continue to suffer till the highway issue is resolved.

“We had raised this demand with the Parliamentary delegation (which visited J-K last year) that the national highway is an issue and until and unless it is not resolved, our economy will continue to suffer,” he said.

Fruit growers in Kashmir on Monday held a demonstration here against the alleged stopping of apple-laden trucks by authorities at various places along the national highway en route to terminal markets in the country.

The J-K administration has dismissed the allegations, saying the trucks were halted due to natural causes.

The post Ensure hassle-free movement of fruit trucks on national highway: KCCI to J&K admin appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

Addressing a press conference here, Bukhari expressed his gratitude to the administration for clearing the backlog of trucks on the national highway and allowing the movement of such trucks on Monday.

The Apni Party chief said the party had taken up the issue with J-K lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha, chief secretary Arun Kumar Mehta and other officials.

“Yesterday also, we raised the issue with the chief secretary. We told him that if the issue is not resolved, then we will have to sit with the (fruit) growers at Qazigund, even as we do not want any law and order problem to be created, Bukhari said.

Fruit growers of Kashmir on Monday held a demonstration here against the alleged stopping of apple-laden trucks by authorities at various places along the national highway en route to terminal markets of the country.

However, the administration dismissed the allegations, saying the trucks were being halted due to natural causes.

Bukhari said, I am thankful that he (LG Sinha) took a personal interest and confirmed to me last night that they have cleared the entire backlog.

He, however, said it also raises a simple question that if the administration could clear the backlog in a day, why did they not do it for the last 15 days?

“It is possible, if they mean it, they can clear the backlog, they can give preference to trucks. We appeal to the administration, with folded hands, that the people of J-K are facing hardship and please do not see only that the tourism sector is doing well, he said.

About 70 per cent of the population is dependent on horticulture and so its an appeal to the authorities to prioritise the movement of fruit-laden trucks, the Apni Party chief said.

Asked if there was a deliberate attempt to cause losses to the valley’s fruit industry, Bukhari said while it “will be carrying it too far” if he said that they are targeting our industry and our economy, the fact is that our people have suffered and our growers have suffered losses.

“There are elements in every administration and I will not exonerate them from this charge that carelessness has not been done, Bukhari said.

Whether it has been intentional carelessness or a routine like it has become under this administration because they think they are not answerable to anyone… But, I want to tell them what they did yesterday, try to do it every day now,” he added.

On the issue of Kashmiri apples fetching less rates in the fruit mandis in the country, Bukhari urged the government to raise the import duty on the apples coming from outside the country.

He said, “If you are procuring apples from other countries like Afghanistan, first you should see if Afghanistan produces so much apple or not.

The apple you are getting in the name of Afghanistan duty-free, is basically from Iran. It is being used to make our people suffer losses,” he said.

The former minister appealed to the Centre to address the issue.

“This is theft, there is loss of duty, there is evasion. We regularly see that the Enforcement Directorate or the NIA is active, so, please be active on this as well and arrest those who are doing it. Is it only that people of J-K have to be arrested?” he said.

Bukhari said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing everything for Bangladesh as there is a water treaty and electricity is being given to them.

“So, I request him (Modi) to do something for the people of Kashmir as well. In turn, the government has imposed a duty on Kashmiri apples, he said.

“I request him to kindly intervene in the matter and ask Bangladesh, since we treat them as the most favoured nation, let them in return at least treat the product of this poor state as the most favoured product. It will not only improve our economy, but their people will also get cheaper apples,” he said.

The issues of the fruit growers should be prioritised, political issues will continue.

Bukhari said he has nothing against Iran and the government can procure apples from the country, however, it has to be done through a proper procedure.

“I targeted the Iranian apple which comes through Wagah under the SAFTA (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation). We are not against Iran. Let them get the apple from Iran by paying proper duty which is 55 per cent and not through this duty evasion channel by showing it as apples from Afghanistan,” he said.

“We can pinpoint to them where the apple is coming from. The movement of the truck right from the orchard level can be tracked in today’s times. It is just that there is some hanky-panky. I do not know whether it is at the official level or some other level,” he added.

The post Bukhari urges J&K admin to prioritise movement of fruit trucks on highway appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

A statement of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-Cum-Dealers Union issued here said that the LG’s administration had been kind enough to allow transportation of fruit-laden stranded vehicles to move forward towards Jammu on two consecutive days.

“Resultantly, the backlog of stranded vehicles has been fully cleared. The union also thanks All Kashmir Traders Associations and all social activists of Kashmir, print, electronic and social media for highlighting this genuine issue and for their support in clearing all stranded fruit-laden trucks on NH-44,” the statement said.

It said that the union expressed hope that the LG’s Administration in the future too should consider the smooth traffic movement of fruit-laden trucks on priority for the safe arrival of apple and pear crops to respective destinations of the country so that Kashmir-based fruit growers who were extremely worried over the timely arrival of their fruit consignments to respective destinations heave a sigh of relief.

The post Kashmir fruit growers thank Govt for clearing stranded fruit trucks appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

In an exclusive interview with Greater Kashmir, IGP Singh rebuffed the claims that over 8000 apples-laden trucks remained stranded on the highway.

He said that to relieve strain on NH-44, the Traffic Department conducted a variety of actions to facilitate traffic flow through the Mughal Road.

“Since taking over, I have been advocating for using Mughal Road. We have asked the Army to add more check posts on it. Cranes were deployed which was one of the issues raised by the transporters. Earlier, an average of 120 vehicles travelled on this route every day. Today, the number has increased to 1000 vehicles. Fruit growers can move their products outside of Kashmir through this route too,” Singh said.

He said over 48,000 trucks including 30,786 apple trucks moved from Srinagar to Jammu via Jawahar Tunnel since September 1.

“As shooting stones began at Mehar on September 24 and traffic had to be stopped, only 825 trucks (including 671 apple trucks) were released. Among the 4554 trucks that were freed on September 25 (including 3995 apple trucks), 1500 got stuck at Mehar due to rolling stones and have since made their way to Jammu,” Singh said. “We lost a third of our time due to roadworks and shooting stones. About 15 hours have been lost during the past 36 hours as a result of repairs and other problems.”

He said that the 45-km stretch of road between Banihal Market and Mehar was the source of the issue.

Due to the damage caused by the rain and shooting stones, the majority of this road section is single-lane, which has decreased the traffic flow.

LMVs could travel on this section, however, when trucks with heavy loads arrive, Banihal Market becomes congested.

“The number of vehicles using the highway has increased due to the favourable tourism season. On a good day, 9000 vehicles use the highway on both sides. However, there was a critical requirement for repairs that required 3 to 4 hours of traffic halting. However, the situation is not critical since some sources have claimed that over 10,000 vehicles are stuck, which is not true at all,” Singh said. “We must let LMVs travel on the highway as well. If someone is driving his car, I cannot stop them. This is the crux of the problem.”

He said that when the road was being widened, shooting stones activate resulting in landslides.

“This is a natural occurrence. The issues confronting us on the Srinagar-Jammu highway are primarily due to the infrastructure limits rather than administrative constraints,” Singh said. “To enhance the flow of apple trucks, Traffic Police has taken several additional initiatives. Even before the apple season began, I held a series of meetings with Kashmir’s Directors of Horticulture and Agriculture, as well as other stakeholders like J&K Union Territory Horticulture Associations.”

He said that the down convoy was granted extra time to facilitate a smooth clearance of apple vehicles.

“In the event of an NH-44 obstruction caused by shooting stones, down HMVs were launched on consecutive days to ensure the timely clearance of apple-laden trucks,” Singh said. “Extra traffic officials were assigned to the Qazigund and Banihal-Ramban segments to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. Traffic SSPs were instructed to ensure that no vehicle was allowed for up traffic to guarantee smooth passage. To maintain complete transparency, I had requested that the Horticulture Department and Horticulture Association send a representative to work with Traffic officials in Banihal and Qazigund to ensure the smooth flow of fruit trucks.”

He said that DC Ramban was approached about declaring Ramban Market a ‘No Parking Zone’, and he was gracious enough to quickly issue the directives.

“On each fruit-laden truck’s windscreen, the Department of Horticulture was requested to paste stickers with the words ‘apple’ or ‘fresh produce’ as applicable, and a picture to aid in identification,” Singh said. “For the prompt resolution of fruit producers’ complaints, a WhatsApp group was developed at the Traffic Headquarters level and all interested parties were invited to join.”

He said that the members of various trade organisations were advised to observe the schedule for truck release on the national highway and dispatch their vehicles beyond Kashmir as HMVs ply on NH-44 on alternate days.

Meanwhile, as per the J&K Traffic Police statement, after three continuous days of down HMV movement, all the stranded trucks at Qazigund were cleared on Monday.

The statement said that as per the data collected by NHAI at the Qazigund toll plaza, since September 1, 2022, 48,845 trucks including 30,786 apple-carrying trucks moved from Qazigund to other parts of the country via NH-44.

It said that due to the constraints of NH-44, which is a single lane for 12-14 stretches between Nashri and Banihal, the movement of HMVs happens on alternate days.

The statement said that the movement of traffic on NH-44 was also subject to stoppage due to frequent falling of stones at various locations like Cafeteria Morh, Mehar, and Sherbibi around Ramban town.

It said that the Mehar Pass, which became active on July 18, 2022, leads to the stoppage of traffic several times during the day.

The statement said that the shooting stones make it dangerous for traffic to pass.

It said that since September 24, the NHAI had also initiated urgent repair works at these single stretches of NH-44, requiring the stoppage of traffic for a part of the day.

The post Despite losing 1/3rd time in roadworks, movement of apple trucks flawlessly smooth: IGP Traffic appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

“Lakhs of people depend on this (fruit trade), they have taken loans, they have taken money from Delhi’s mandis. Who will give them that money? Will you? So, I warn the government if you don’t open the road for trucks, then I along with others will block the national highway,” Mehbooba said in Shopian.

She visited the south Kashmir district to join the protesting apple growers who have been demanding a smooth transit for the fruit-laden trucks stuck on the national highway.

“You are not allowing us to bring our fruits, which are rotting in the mandis, but, we will not allow this. I appeal to you as well as warn you not to test the people of Kashmir,” she added. Mehbooba said horticulture is the backbone of the union territory’s economy, but attempts are being made to “damage” it.

“It is not just about fruit growers, but transporters as well, who also have taken loans…This is economic terrorism. They say militancy has ended, but the Government of India is unleashing biggest terror against the people and horticulture here,” she said.

The former JK chief minister alleged that the government is trying to do what the Jews did to Palestine by shutting them economically.

“Trucks from Jammu to Kashmir reach here in a day, but trucks from here are stopped for four-five days. If this is not a part of some conspiracy, then why does it still happen even after the assurances of the LG? We will not allow this.

“I have requested the Lieutenant Governor and appeal to him again to take serious notice of the issue and see to it that our trucks are not stopped. If it continues despite that, then they will also have to face difficulties,” she said.

The post Will block Srinagar-Jammu highway if fruit-trucks are not allowed smooth passage: Mehbooba appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

According to a press note, he was interacting with the delegation that had called on him at his residence in Srinagar. The visiting delegation apprised the party President about the plethora of issues concerning them. Dr Farooq was all ears to the issues raised by the delegation members and assured them that he will air their woes at all appropriate levels.

The incumbent administration has so far failed to augment efforts of fruit growers by failing to provide them requisite logistic support, the halting of the fresh fruit laden trucks from Kashmir to different parts of the country is a point in case, he said. “Our horticulturalists, small scale traders, and our artisans all are suffering at the same time. It seems that the government has so far failed to understand the demands and requirements of people of J&K otherwise they would have ensured that such vital sectors of our economy do not suffer this way,” he said.

“Far from pulling J&K from the great depression it finds itself in, the policies pursued by the incumbent JK administration have further compounded the woes of our people,” he further added.

The post Government must ensure fruit laden trucks reach outside mandis on time: Farooq Abdullah appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

In a statement, President, KCCI Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad and office bearers of KCCI stated they are deeply concerned over the matter that hundreds of trucks carrying apples were getting stranded on national highways, particularly near the 20km stretch from Qazigund to Banihal.

‘The government must effectively find a way out, as the apple harvesting season is gaining momentum with every passing day now. Any further delay in solving the problem can badly hit the Kashmir economy, mostly dependent on apple trade. This is peak fruit season in Kashmir and this is for the first time when we are seeing this mess on the national highway.”

The apple growers and traders have been alleging that the trucks are halted for days together and their movement frequently disturbed.

The spokesperson of KCCI said that if  fruit does not reach markets outside J&K on time, its quality gets badly affected leading to financial losses to them.

The post Ensure hassle free movement of fruit-laden trucks: KCCI to Govt appeared first on Greater Kashmir.

President KTA, Aijaz Shahdhar said that the government has shown non-seriousness towards the issues which is hurting the interests of over 8 lakh families who are earning their livelihood from the horticulture sector.

” It is unfortunate that the administration is not showing any keenness to ensure hassle free movement of fruit carrying trucks on the national highway despite the repeated attempts of fruit growers and traders,” he said.

“Situation has reached such a stage that now fruit growers are destroying their produce due to low prices and transportation hassles,” Shahdhar said, adding that the government must act quickly in order to save Rs 10000 crore industry.

Shahdhar urged LG Sinha to personally intervene in the matter and direct officials to ensure hassle-free movement of fruit-laden trucks so that fruit growers can sell their produce outside mandis.

The post Kashmir’s fruit industry in dire-straits: KTA appeared first on Greater Kashmir.