Agriculture Minister, Fruit Association members review NH-44 situation, seek priority movement for fruit trucks

Ziraat Times News Desk

Ramban, August 6: Agriculture and Horticulture Minister Javaid Ahmad Dar on Thursday visited Ramban and Udhampur to review the movement of horticulture produce on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), amid frequent traffic disruptions linked to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra and road maintenance work.

The visit came at a time when the apple harvesting and marketing season is getting underway in Kashmir, with fruit growers and traders expressing concern that prolonged traffic restrictions could result in post-harvest losses and significant financial damage.

Dar, accompanied by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, several MLAs and senior officials of the Agriculture and Horticulture departments, undertook the visit following a request from Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union chairman Bashir Ahmad Basheer.

Representatives of various fruit growers and dealers’ associations, including Fayaz Ahmad Malik, president of the Fruit Association Sopore, Mushtaq Ahmad of the Sopore association, Mohd Sideeq Kennu, president of Fruit Association Anantnag, Azhar Tak of Jablipora, G.M. Banday, president of Fruit Association Kulgam, and representatives of the New Kashmir Fruit Association, also accompanied the delegation.

The team first visited the Fruit Mandi at Jablipora, where the minister and the Chief Minister’s advisor interacted with representatives of the local fruit association.

During the interaction, the minister assured the association that the process for allotment of shops and execution of lease deeds would be taken up shortly. He also assured that the Jablipora fruit market would be fully developed.

The delegation subsequently travelled towards Ramban, stopping at Samroli and Udhampur to interact with traffic authorities and National Highway authorities.

Dar urged the authorities to facilitate the uninterrupted movement of fruit-laden trucks towards their respective destinations, particularly in view of the ongoing fruit season.

At Ramban, the delegation held a detailed meeting with the district administration, police, traffic authorities, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department and other concerned agencies.

The minister directed all departments and agencies to maintain close coordination for effective traffic management and called for the restoration of affected stretches of NH-44 on a war-footing basis.

He emphasised that the apple harvesting and marketing season was already underway and that fruit-laden trucks should be accorded priority on the highway to prevent unnecessary stoppages and procedural delays involving perishable horticulture produce.

The minister also directed the concerned agencies to take immediate measures for restoration of the highway and ensure the uninterrupted transportation of horticulture produce, with the objective of protecting growers’ incomes and minimising post-harvest losses.

The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union expressed hope that the directions issued during the Ramban meeting would be closely monitored by the concerned agencies and result in smoother and uninterrupted movement of fruit-laden trucks on NH-44 during the peak marketing season.