Highway disruptions caused by weather, not administration: Javid Dar

Anantnag, Aug 6: Minister for Agriculture Production and Rural Development, Javid Ahmad Dar, on Thursday dismissed as baseless the allegations that the administration was deliberately disrupting traffic movement on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), stating that the repeated disruptions witnessed over the past two weeks were primarily caused by inclement weather and landslides.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to the Jablipora Fruit Mandi in Bijbehara, the largest fruit market in South Kashmir, Dar, said continuous rainfall and frequent landslides at several vulnerable stretches of the highway have hampered the smooth movement of traffic, including fruit-laden trucks.
“There are no deliberate attempts to block traffic on NH-44. During the past 15 days, the region has witnessed very rough weather. Landslides are occurring repeatedly on different stretches of the highway, and it naturally takes time for the concerned agencies to clear the debris and restore traffic,” the Minister said.
He added that the government is aware of the concerns of fruit growers and traders, particularly during the peak fruit season, and is making every possible effort to minimise inconvenience.
Regarding the long-pending issue of allotment of shops and sheds at the Jablipora Fruit Mandi, Dar said the process would be completed strictly in accordance with court directions to ensure transparency and fairness.
“The allotment of shops at the Jablipora Fruit Mandi will be carried out as per the court’s directions. A committee has already been constituted to examine all applications and pending cases so that the process is completed in a transparent manner,” he said.
The Minister announced that a bank branch would be established within the fruit mandi to facilitate traders, orchardists and commission agents by providing easy access to banking and financial services.
On the issue of political remarks over Article 370, particularly comments made by BJP leaders during a recent event in Anantnag, Dar said democracy gives every citizen the right to express happiness or disappointment over any decision. However, he urged political leaders and the public to maintain dignity in public discourse.
“In a democracy, everyone has the right to express happiness or sadness over any decision. But while expressing opinions, people should avoid using derogatory language against one another. Healthy political debate should always remain within the bounds of decency and mutual respect,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s plans for strengthening horticulture infrastructure, Dar said all fruit mandis across Jammu and Kashmir would be upgraded under a major government scheme to provide better facilities to growers and traders.
“Under an important government scheme, all mandis across Jammu and Kashmir will be developed and modernised in a phased manner. Our aim is to create better infrastructure so that growers and traders do not face difficulties in marketing and transporting their produce,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister chaired a high-level meeting at the Jablipora Fruit Mandi, which was attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, National Conference legislators Abdul Majeed Larami, Altaf Kaloo, Bashir Ahmad Veeri, Riyaz Khan and Choudhary Zaffar, Fruit Mandi Chairman Mohammad Sadiq Koun, the Director of Horticulture, senior officials, office bearers of the Fruit Association and a large number of traders.
The meeting discussed several issues concerning the horticulture sector, including frequent stoppage of fruit-laden trucks on the national highway, allotment of sheds within the mandi, banking facilities and other infrastructural deficiencies affecting the functioning of the market.
Dar assured the gathering that he would soon undertake a visit along the National Highway up to Ramban, accompanied by officials and representatives of fruit growers, to assess the bottlenecks on the ground and identify practical measures to ensure the uninterrupted movement of fruit consignments.
He reiterated that the Omar Abdullah-led government is committed to resolving public grievances at the grassroots level and would address the concerns of traders, growers and other stakeholders in a phased and systematic manner. (KNO)