Fruit growers, dealers protest over halting of trucks on national highway

SRINAGAR — A strong peaceful protest was held on Wednesday under the banner of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union in all Fruit Mandi’s of the Valley against the deliberate stoppage of apple and pear loaded trucks on various spots of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

In its press release, the Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union said that the protests were held in several districts and areas of Kashmir including Srinagar, Sopore, Baramulla, Handwara, Charar-i-Sharief, Shopian, Pulwama, Anantnag, Jablipora, Kulgam, Khoi, Pachahar, Zazna Ganderbal etc against deliberate stoppage of apple/pear loaded trucks on various spots of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH44) for two-three days with the result the apple and pear consignments get boiled and damage.

“During the protest rally, it is agitated that apple and pear loaded trucks are allowed to ply on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway only for three hours and thereafter stopped in the way when it is not possible to pass the Qazigund/Lowermunda within a short spell of three hours,” it said.

“Since the Valley-based fruit growers/dealers are extremely worried of the late arrival of their fruits to respective destinations within the country with the apprehension of heavy losses,” it said.

The statement further reads that the Chairman of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers-cum-Dealers Union, Mr Bashir Ahmad Basheer, therefore, have made an appeal to the Lieutenant Governor’s administration that since the Valley-based fruit growers and dealers have already suffered heavy losses over the last several years due to natural calamity, all apple and pear laden trucks may, therefore, kindly be allowed from 11:00 AM to 04:00 AM of next day without any interruption so that apple and pear crop may arrive to respective destinations of the country safely and fruit growers and dealers are saved from heavy losses.