Respite to fruit growers

Much to the relief of the fruit growers, the authorities have listened to their pleas by passing the strict directions to the officers with regard to ensuring smooth passage to the fruit laden trucks along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The complaint has been put forth by the fruit growers in the past as well, following which the government’s intervention at the top level ensured some sought of relief to the growers. Yet again, the officers have been directed to ensure smooth passage to the fruit laden trucks after several days of protest by the fruit growers here in the Valley. One fails to understand why the fruit growers are always being pushed to the wall by halting their fruit laden trucks. The decision taken today is a welcoming and appreciable step, but one needs to understand why the fruit laden trucks are being stopped from time to time for unknown reasons, which according to the fruit growers have caused huge losses to them. In a goodwill gesture, the authorities for the first time in order to ensure full transparency, have asked the Horticulture department and Horticulture associations to depute their representative with Traffic officials at Banihal and Qazigund for ensuring smooth movement of fruit trucks. Such a measure would certainly end the apprehensions of the people, but it needs to be ensured that the measure should last forever for the wellbeing of the fruit industry, who has suffered frequent losses in the past few years due to the heat wave or the untimely snowfall.