Seeks extensive financial package for transporters, fruit-vegetable growers & poultry farm owners for losses as thousands trucks remain stranded
Diplomat Correspondent
JAMMU: DD, Apni Party Provincial President Jammu, and Former Minister, S. Manjit Singh has condemned the Jammu and Kashmir Govt, and Central Govt for their failure to open the Jammu-Srinagar Highway that is closed for the last more than 20 days and it has caused huge losses to the fruit and vegetable growers.
Asking the Govt to act tough against the NHAI and lodge an FIR against the erring officials, who failed to keep the highway operational following landslides, and damages in Udhampur to Banihal Sector, the Former Minister pointed out how the delay has caused the losses in crores as the fruits, and vegetables has rotten in the stranded trucks for days together.
Chairing a meeting here at the Jammu office of the Apni Party, S. Manjit Singh held a threadbare discussion over the issue while issuing a warning to the Govt that if the highway is not opened within next two days, the Party would be compelled to come on the roads in support of growers, and transporters.
Expressing dismay and surprise as to how authorities from Kathua, Samba, Jammu, Udhampur and Ramban have failed to provide humanitarian aid, community kitchen, clean drinking water, and health camps for the drivers and their helpers who are stranded for more than 20 days all along the Highway.
He criticised the role of the traffic police department that could have made the authorities aware of the situation faced by the drivers, and their helpers.
“The drivers and their helpers have exhausted all their finances and they are left empty hands to the mercy of God as the highway continues to remain shut,” he added.
He demanded immediate relief, and compensation to the fruit growers, vegetable growers, and poultry farm owners whose stock has rottened in the stranded trucks enroute to Kashmir / Jammu.
“The Govt shall announce immediate a comprehensive financial package for the transporters, drivers/helpers, vegetable- fruit growers, and poultry farm owners,” he said, demanding stern action against the NHAI for collecting Toll Tax at various places from Lakhanpur, Udhampur, and Banihal and other places all along the Jammu-Srinagar Highway even as the highway is in shabby condition, and not restored fully.
He said that the full restoration would take much more time, and the single lane operationalisation with heavy traffic jam and lots of inconvenience to the commuters/transporters, the NHAI cannot collect the Toll Tax from them. Hence, an appropriate legal action under the law shall be taken against them.
He also demanded that the Govt of J&K and Central Govt shall fix responsibility on the collapse of the bridges, and roads and accordingly, an FIR shall be registered against the engineers/contractors who constructed these bridges/roads which could not withstand the landslides/flash floods.
“It exposes ill planning and inefficiency of the engineers of NHAI,” he said, demanding action against the NHAI officials.
Prominent among those who attended by District President Jammu Urban, Abhay Bakaya; Provincial Vice President, Saleem Alam; Provincial Secretary, Ajaz Kazmi; Provincial Secretary, Balbir Singh; Social Media Incharge Jammu Province, Vaibhav Mattoo; Senior Vice President District, Jammu Urban, Neelam Gupta, and others.DD
