SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Friday chaired a high-level meeting in Srinagar to review the transportation and smooth movement of fruit consignments from the Kashmir Valley to markets across the country.
The meeting was attended by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Secretary Transport Department, IG Traffic, Transport Commissioner, Secretary Agriculture Production Department, Managing Director HPMC, Regional Officer NHAI, and other senior officials.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary reviewed the status of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) and its restoration to full operational capacity. He sought detailed information about the movement of fruit-laden trucks from the Valley and the unhindered passage of essential commodities towards Srinagar.
Mr. Dulloo directed that no fruit truck should remain stranded on the highway and asked departments concerned to ensure safe and priority passage for these vehicles. He also took stock of the number of vehicles stranded on both sides of NH-44 and instructed for their timely clearance.
Exploring long-distance transport options, the Chief Secretary advised the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to examine the introduction of rail freight services for transporting horticultural produce to major markets such as Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru. He called for consultations with fruit growers and coordination with the Divisional Railway Manager, Jammu, to assess the feasibility of such services.
The Divisional Commissioner informed the meeting that adequate transport services are currently available to fruit growers at reasonable rates and that no major logistical difficulties have been reported.
Secretary Transport Department, Avny Lavasa, said that if any shortage of transport vehicles arises, the fleet of J&K SRTC trucks will be deployed to ensure the smooth evacuation of fruit consignments to outside markets.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the Chief Secretary emphasized that seamless transportation of horticultural produce is vital to the Valley’s economy. He directed all departments to maintain close coordination and take proactive steps to ensure the uninterrupted movement of fruit during the ongoing season.
