ZT News Network
Srinagar: Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union and the New Kashmir Fruit Association have asked the J&K government to reconsider the planned 2-day highway closure in view of the upcoming festival season.
The growers have also written to Nitin Jairam Gadkari, Minster for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India, to consider their request.
Ziraat Times here reproduces the letters written to Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, Principal Secretary to Government, Horticulture Department and the Union Transport Minister.
Mr. Naveen Kumar Chaudhary, IAS,
Principal Secretary To Govt,
Horticulture Department,
Respected sir,
With great respects and humble submission your goodself is informed that
Srinagar-Jammu National Highway NH44 will remain closed in view of its
repairment/maintenance and there shall be no traffic movement on 15-10-2020 OR 16-10-2020 from either side of the Highway. In this connection your goodself is informed that the big two Festivals “DUSHEERA and DIWALI” are approaching very fast, Dusheera Festival is falling on 25-10-2020 immediately followed by Diwali Festival, the buyers of outside J&K (UT) are presently in entire Valley for the purpose of purchasing of Fresh Fruits from all Fruit Mandi’s, the closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on 15-10-2020 OR 16-10-2020 will, therefore, create acute hardships/inconvenience for both Buyers and Fruit Growers of the
Valley as well.
Under the circumstances explained above your goodself is requested kindly
take up the matter with National Highway authorities and other concerned
Authorities for taking in hand the repairment of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway NH44 only after Dusheera and Diwali Festivals are over so that the Buyers who have come from outside J&K (UT) will feel a sigh of relief.
Mr. Nitin Jairam Gadkari Ji,
Minster for Road Transport & Highways, Government of India,
Hon’ble Sir,
With great respects and humble submission it is informed that the Horticulture Sector of J&K (UT) contributes 70% to J&K (UT) economy and nearly 80% of the population of J&K are directly or indirectly dependent on this Industry which has witnessed unprecedented ups and downs since last several years with the result the Valley Based Fruit Growers/ Dealers are facing constantly heavy losses.
Now the harvesting of Apple and Pear is nowadays at peak and the Apple/Pear requires to be transported to different stations outside J&K (UT) on priority in every case in view of its shortest life. Since Srinagar-Jammu National Highway NH44 is one of the biggest challenge for Valley Based Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union because the fruit laden trucks are stopped on various spots of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for days together and when allowed to move forward these fruit laden trucks arrives in different Mandi’s all together with the result the apple/Pear which arrives in abundant does not fetch even its actual cost.
In fact Valley Based Fruit Growers Cum Dealers have constantly faced heavy losses since devastating flood of 2014, followed by roll back of Article 370 & 35A in the month of August 2019, Natural Disaster of November 2019 and outbreak of Covid-19 (Coronavirus), the off and on closure of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway NH44 creates additional losses putting Valley Based Fruit Growers/ Dealers into mental agony.
The completion of construction of fourway on Srinagar-Jammu national Highway is still under progress, despite of a long inning the same has not been completed so far. Had the construction of four way on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway would have been completed there would have not been any possibility of traffic jamming and blockade of road. The completion of this fourway road is warranted on war footing basis in every respect particularly for the purpose of transportation of essential commodities to and fro and fresh fruits/ vegetables as well.
Under the circumstances explained above your goodslef is requested kindly direct the National Highway Authorities to make all possible efforts for operation of uninterrupted traffic of Fruit/Vegetable laden trucks on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway NH44 to and fro and even against convoy so that neither the scarcity of fresh Fruits/Vegetables could happen nor the Fruit/Vegetable Growers/Dealers will face any losses. The completion of fourway on Srinagar-Jammu National highway may also kindly be made possible on war footing basis.
With great regards,
Yours Sincerely,
(Bashir Ahmad Basheer)
CHAIRMAN
Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union
PRESIDENT
The New Kashmir Fruit Association