Srinagar: PDP leader Iltija Mufti on Friday alleged that apple growers in Kashmir are facing “significant losses” due to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway for maintenance.
Iltija urged Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to expedite the highway work.
“Unfortunately, much like last year, Kashmiri apple growers are suffering immense catastrophic losses again because the Qazigund highway is closed yet again for ‘maintenance’. Why is it that road repairs happen only during harvest season? Horticulture provides a dignified livelihood to lakhs of Kashmiris. Request @nitin_gadkari to ensure road work is expedited,” she said in a post on X.
The PDP leader interacted with fruit transporters at Qazigund along the national highway and urged the administration to reopen the highway as soon as possible.
The 250-km national highway was closed for vehicular traffic on Friday to facilitate widening of the carriageway and removal of overhanging debris at vulnerable locations between Udhampur and Banihal.
“Why are trucks carrying Kashmiri apples being stopped at Qazigund? Apple growers are already facing immense challenges. Such disruptions only add to their hardship and deserve an immediate explanation and resolution,” Iltija stated.
Speaking to PTI Videos, the PDP leader claimed that apple produce has been rotting for two days at Lower Munda in Qazigund because truckers were not allowed to travel on the highway.
“The police stopped us here; they didn’t allow us to proceed. And they are giving us this excuse that road maintenance is going on here. Why is it that in the entire year, road maintenance begins at the exact time when it’s peak season for apple growers trying to send their fruit to market? It’s very strange,” she said.
Iltija expressed concern that there might be a conspiracy against Kashmiri apple growers.
“You want private players, like Adani in Himachal Pradesh where their apples come from, to lower the prices of our fruit so it sells at the lowest possible rates. This is a big conspiracy because horticulture is the backbone of our entire economy,” she added.
