Kashmir growers push for priority trucks on Srinagar-Jammu highway

Member of Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmad called on the Jammu and Kashmir administration, traffic police and transport authorities to give priority to fruit‑laden trucks on the Srinagar‑Jammu National Highway (NH‑44), warning that repeated bottlenecks are causing heavy losses to the region’s horticulture sector. He urged the use of a strict mechanism to keep the highway clear and to keep the Mughal Road open as an alternative route.

PDP leader Iltija Mufti also highlighted the impact of a recent highway closure for maintenance, saying apple growers are suffering “catastrophic losses” as trucks are stopped at Qazigund. She appealed to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari to expedite the work and restore traffic flow, warning that road repairs during the harvest season threaten the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris who depend on horticulture.