Srinagar: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Wednesday appealed to the administration to ensure hassle-free movement of fruit-laden trucks on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
“We appeal to the government to ensure free movement of trucks. The government should ensure a mechanism so that the movement of the trucks goes on smoothly for the whole season,” KCCI president Sheikh Aashiq told reporters here.
Refuting as “baseless and misleading” a video uploaded on social media accusing KCCI of being involved in halting fruit-laden trucks on the highway, the biz body president sought a proof vis-à-vis their involvement in the alleged conspiracy.
Addressing a press conference here, KCCI president said the body he represents has not reached to a stature wherein it could hatch conspiracy with the government against its own people.
He asked those having accused KCCI for working “hand-in-glove with the government in halting fruit laden trucks” along Srinagar-Jammu national highway to come up with some concrete proofs to justify biz body’s role in the alleged conspiracy.
“It’s unfortunate that people with malafide intentions have uploaded a video on social media accusing KCCI representatives for being in close collusion with the government in halting fruit trucks along the highway. We have always worked for the wellbeing of people, especially the business community, and cannot think of harming our own people in our wildest dreams,” Ashiq said, adding let the accuser come up with proof to justify his accusations.
He said the act of uploading video on social media is aimed at defaming the biz body which is completely apolitical in nature.
He also appreciated the administration for taking some corrective measures with regard to smooth movement of trucks laden with fruits along the highway and appealed to the government to ensure people especially traders do not face such issues in the future.
Aashiq also said the economy of the Kashmir Valley will continue to suffer till the highway issue is resolved.
“We had raised this demand with the Parliamentary delegation (which visited J&K last year) that the national highway is an issue and until and unless it is not resolved, our economy will continue to suffer,” he said.
Fruit growers in Kashmir on Monday held a demonstration here against the alleged stopping of apple-laden trucks by authorities at various places along the national highway en route to terminal markets in the country.
The J&K administration has dismissed the allegations, saying the trucks were halted due to natural causes.
