10 SRINAGAR | January 26, 2019, Saturday Greater Kashmir

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Confrontationist approach...
“As I said earlier also, our hearts
go out to the bereaved families who
have lost their dear ones. We shall
have to find ways to remove such
ugly scars of violence forever from
our beautiful landscape by strength-
ening the discourse of peace,” he said,
adding: “This is our collective respon-
sibility and can be discharged only
with active cooperation and support
of our people”.
Extending greetings and good
wishes to the people of Jammu and
Kashmir on the occasion of R-day,
the governor said: “On this day, we
remember and pay tributes to the
founding fathers of the nation who
fought for our freedom and handed
over to us a constitution that guar-
antees liberty, equality and justice”.
“I convey my greetings and sincere
gratitude to members of our armed
forces and J&K police for working
tirelessly in maintaining the unity
and integrity of the nation”.
The governor appealed to the
members of civil society, political
parties, leaders of all social, cultural,
religious and other organisations in
the state to “come forward and lend
their hands in building a prosperous
J&K which will be a role model for
other states”.
“I extend warm greetings to the
people of Jammu and Kashmir and
compliment the team of my advisors,
chief secretary and officers of civil
and police administration for ensur-
ing a discernible change on develop-
ment and governance scenario in the
state. I assure that this process will
continue till a democratically elected
government is back in the state. I will
reassure you that the government
will continue to work on its mission
of good governance and delivering
development,” he said.
‘NEIGHBOURING COUNTRY
SUPPORTING MILITANTS’
The governor said that “our neigh-
bouring country continues to support
is an appropriate institutional frame-
work in place to act as a deterrent”.
“The first ever anti-corruption
bureau (ACB) has been established
in the state, as an important element
of the mission of good governance
and development. The Jammu and
Kashmir vigilance commission Act
has been amended to make it more
vibrant and effective. We have also
amended the prevention of corrup-
tion Act to give it more teeth,” he said.
ON GOVERNANCE
Redressing citizens’ grievances
has been given a priority by my
administration, the governor said,
citing establishment of the state
grievances cell as well as district
grievance cells.
“My advisors and chief secretary
are regularly interacting with the
public for redressal of their problems.
A service grievance cell to address
service-related grievances of employ-
ees has also been set up,” he said.
The state government, the gov-
ernor said, has taken a series of
measures for the welfare of police
personnel, including grant of promo-
tions at various levels, enhancement
of honorarium for special police offi-
cers, enhancement of ex-gratia relief
of next-of-kin of J&K police personnel,
SPOs, central armed police forces and
army killed in violence and militan-
cy-related incidents and hardship
allowance.
“Promotions and other service
related matters of the government
employees are being prioritized,” he
said.
He said amendments have been
made in the Jammu and Kashmir
panchayati raj Act-1989 to devolve
more powers to panchayats.
“The amendments will ensure
well-defined taxation powers to the
panchayats for generation of ade-
quate resources by themselves,” he
said.
He said the powers and functions
ther push to the energy sector in the
state. The 624 MW Kiru HEP at a cost
of Rs 4708.60 crore has been approved
for execution through Joint Venture
(JV). The project offers multiple ben-
efits in terms of power and employ-
ment generation,” he said.
Ladakh region has been brought
on national grid by completing 220
KV Srinagar-Kargil-Leh transmission
line, he said.
He said the government has signed
a memorandum of understanding
with the government of Punjab for
execution of Shahpurkandi dam proj-
ect which was in limbo for the last
40 years.
“Execution of this project will give
a much-needed boost to the agricul-
tural activity by irrigating over 32,000
hectare land in Samba and Kathua
districts. Besides, the state will get
20 percent power from this project,”
he said.
He also said that the Ujh multi-
purpose project has been cleared for
execution at a cost of Rs 5850 crore to
irrigate another 31,000 hectare of land
in Kathua district and will generate
186 MW power.
‘GOVERNMENT SENSITIVE TO REGIONAL
ASPIRATIONS’
The government is sensitive to
regional aspirations, the governor
said, and added that a university at
Ladakh has been created and the Act
notified to fulfil the long-pending
demand of the region.
“Amendments have been made
in the relevant Act to devolve more
powers and privileges to the Ladakh
Autonomous Hill Development Coun-
cil. 40 new degree colleges are being
opened across the state to meet area-
specific requirements,” he said.
To address grievances of our stu-
dents studying outside the state in
major cities, liaison officers have
been designated, he said.
FROM THE FRONT PAGE...
Ahead of R-day...
A source told Greater Kashmir that militants a™acked a police party
at a bus stand in Anantnag town with a grenade at around 4.30 p.m,
injuring an Indian police service officer’s guard and a passer-by.
The injured policeman was identified as constable Sajad Ahmad,
who was deployed as a personal security officer with an on-training IPS
officer who had gone inside a police station in the area minutes before
the grenade explosion took place.
The civilian was identified as Aabid Ahmad of Trahpoo of Achabal
area in Anantnag district.
The duo sustained splinter injuries and was treated at district hos-
pital Anantnag, the source said.
Soon aer the blast, the forces resorted to aerial firing and cordoned
off the area to nab the a™ackers.
Minutes before, suspected militants reportedly lobbed a grenade at
police station Srigufwara in Dochnipora area of Bijbehara.
The grenade exploded inside the police station near its boundary
wall, a source said.
No loss of life or injury to anyone was reported in the incident.
However, deputy inspector general of police, south Kashmir range
Amit Kumar denied that any grenade a™ack took place in Srigufwara.
“It was the sound of a snag in a power transformer in the locality,”
he claimed.
He, however, confirmed the grenade blast in Anantnag town.
The grenade a™ack took place ahead of officials R-day functions
being held on Saturday, even as security across southern Kashmir has
been tightened to thwart possible strikes by militants.
GRENADE ATTACK IN PULWAMA
Meanwhile, militants lobbed a grenade at a central reserve police
force (CRPF) camp in Tahab area of southern Pulwama district on Friday
evening, the police said.
The grenade, which exploded with a bang, was hurled at around 6.35
pm, a senior police officer said.
The CRPF personnel on duty retaliated by firing at the militants, who,
however, managed to escape from the spot, he said.
Following the a™ack, the army’s rashtriya rifles, Jammu and Kashmir
police and CRPF rushed to the spot and launched searches to nab the
a™ackers.
However, none was arrested until the last reports came in. There were
no reports of injuries to anyone in the incident.
SENTRY FIRES IN AIR IN RAJPORA
Meanwhile, a sentry at Rajpora police station in Pulwama district
Friday evening fired a few gunshots in the air aer “noticing some suspi-
cious movement” near the police station, officials said.
Senior superintendent of police Pulwama Chandan Kohli confirmed
the incident and said searches have been launched in the area.
CRPF BUNKER ATTACKED IN SOPORE:
Suspected militants a™acked a bunker of the central reserve police
Crackdown on...
At least half a dozen leaders were also placed under house
arrest “as a precautionary measure,” a police official said.
The detentions come at a time when Kashmir is, according
to officials, on a high alert amid stepped up security to ensure
smooth R-day functions.
The Joint Resistance Leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani,
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Malik have urged people to observe a
complete shutdown on January 26 across Kashmir.
Malik was detained by the police along with the organisation’s
vice-chairman Mushtaq Ajmal from the JKLF office at Abi Guzar
here. They were lodged in police station Kothibagh.
Talking to journalists before his detention, Malik said a nation
that propagates to be the biggest democracy of the world “actual-
ly believes in pu™ing its political opponents and freedom-seekers
in jails, that too in the name of the same democracy”.
“New Delhi has no right to call itself a democratic country and
thus defame and disgrace real democracy and human norms,”
Malik said.
“The republic day of a nation that has snatched the freedom of
Kashmiris and is constantly denying the rights of people, cannot
be a day of happiness for the oppressed people of Kashmir,” he
said.
People of Kashmir will observe a complete shutdown and
“blackout” on January 26 as a mark of protest against the “travesty
of democracy” in J&K, he said.
New Delhi and its leaders like Jawahar Lal Nehru pledged
before the international community of giving Kashmiris the
right of self-determination, “but today Kashmiris are being
killed, maimed, arrested, raided, humiliated and suppressed for
demanding the same right”, the JKLF chief said.
He alleged that New Delhi, “which is hell-bent upon ripping
apart all democratic norms to suppress Kashmiris, can only be
termed as dictatorial and despotic”.
Meanwhile, the police also detained Peoples Political Party
chairman Hilal Ahmed War from the party’s Rajbagh office.
“War was taken to police station Maisuma and lodged there,”
a spokesman of the party said.
The spokesman strongly condemned War’s arrest, saying “it
amounts to state oppression and denial of the right to expres-
sion”.
The police also placed many resistance leaders under house
detention, including Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai and Javaid Ahmed
Mir, while Abdur Rashid Lone and Bashir Irfani were detained by
the police.
A police official said here that a “few separatists have been
taken into preventive custody” to prevent them from “disrupting
the peaceful atmosphere. It’s a routine exercise ahead of January
26 and August 15. There is nothing new in it”.

militants to disrupt peace and har-
mony in the state”.
“There have been repeated attempts
to infiltrate militants across the inter-
national border and the Line of Con-
trol. Repeated ceasefire violations
have brought untold hardships to the
people living in the villages along the
borders. The government is taking
required measures to alleviate the
sufferings of the border population,”
he said in the message, which was cir-
culated to media by Raj Bhavan.
“Notwithstanding the tough ter-
rain, climate and other challenges”,
Malik said “our armed and security
forces continue to maintain strict
vigil and alertness on our frontiers.
Our armed and police forces carried
out effective operations to neutralise
the largest ever number of militants
in a year”.
“Our soldiers have been working
in extremely difficult circumstanc-
es in the state. We salute the brave
army and police personnel who have
offered supreme sacrifices for main-
taining peace and tranquillity in
Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The governor said that “deepen-
ing of the democratic process” and
“improving the quality of gover-
nance” have been the “prime focus”
of the government.
“The huge turnout in the recently
concluded panchayat and municipal
elections in the state is an indicator
of people’s yearning for peace and
development. Despite stiff challeng-
es, these elections were conducted
in a peaceful atmosphere, thanks to
the overwhelming participation of
the people. I congratulate the entire
civil and police administration for
having worked overtime to ensure
successful and peaceful panchayat
and municipal elections across the
state,” he said.
of 21 departments have been devolved
to the panchayats.
“Over Rs 2300 crore development
funds per-annum will be transferred
to panchayats and Rs 1200 crore to
the urban local bodies for undertak-
ing various development activities in
the respective areas of their jurisdic-
tion,” he said.
‘ADDRESSING DEVELOPMENT BACKLOG’
The governor said that with the
objective of addressing the state’s
backlog in development, Rs 80,000
crore Prime Minister’s development
package for the state is under imple-
mentation.
“The package includes the gov-
ernment of India’s support to vari-
ous critical sectors and will ensure
peace, prosperity and development
in the state,” he said.
The paucity of funds had stalled
the completion of many infrastruc-
tural projects in the state, “some of
which have been languishing for
more than five years”.
“This delay in completion of these
projects has deprived the people of
legitimately required essential infra-
structure and services in time. To
address this problem inclusively,
the government has constituted the
Jammu and Kashmir infrastructure
development finance corporation
(JKIDFC) and authorised it to raise
Rs 8000 crore loan for development.
Till date, 1644 languishing projects in
key sectors with an investment of Rs
3631 crore have been approved. These
projects would be completed in next
18 months and bring a much-needed
impetus to the development require-
ments of the state,” he said.
‘TAPPING VAST HYDROPOWER
POTENTIAL’
The governor said Jammu and
ON HEALTHCARE FACILITIES
Rs 260 crore has been released
recently by the government of India
for five new medical colleges at
Anantnag, Baramulla, Doda, Kathua
and Rajouri, taking the cumulative
release till date for these colleges to
Rs 765 crore, he said.
“The selection process for recruit-
ment of 4300 medicos and paramedi-
cal staff for these colleges has been
fast-tracked. Classes for the first
batch of MBBS at five new medical
colleges will be started from June
this year,” the governor said, adding:
“Apart from access to tertiary health-
care in the remote areas, 100 per cent
increase in the number of MBBS seats
in the state with the addition of these
five new colleges will augment the
healthcare across the state”.
“Jammu and Kashmir has been
declared open-defecation free (ODF)
during September 2018. More than a
million toilets have been constructed
across the state,” h said.
‘J&K PASSING THROUGH CRUCIAL
PHASE’
Jammu and Kashmir has been
passing through a crucial phase offer-
ing challenges and opportunities, the
governor said, adding: “Our youth
today are brimming with hope and
aspiration. They are looking for a
path which will bring success, satis-
faction and happiness in their lives”.
“In order to channelise the energy
of the youth in constructive and
nation-building activities, the depart-
ment of youth services and sports has
given focused attention to the devel-
opment and up-gradation of sports
infrastructure in the state,” he said,
adding: “MA Stadium Jammu has
been upgraded to an international
cricket stadium at a cost of Rs 42.17
crore and shall be completed by
April, 2019. It can now host national
force (CRPF) in northern Sopore town on Friday evening, officials said.
Senior superintendent of police Sopore Javid Iqbal said a team of police
officials has been deputed to the site “to ascertain the nature of blast”.
There was no immediate report of any injury to anyone in the blast.
MILITANTS ATTACK CRPF CAMP IN TRAL:
Militants on Friday evening fired towards Central Reserve Police Force
camp in Midoora hamlet of Tral township in Pulwama district, police said.
Superintendent of police Awantipora Mohammad Zahid Malik told
Greater Kashmir that militants fired towards CRPF camp from a distance
in Midoora at 8:20 PM on Friday. The CRPF troopers on duty retaliated
the a™ack by firing towards the militants.
The brief exchange of fire continued for some time "but no loss of
life or injury was reported".
FORCES LAUNCH SEARCHES NEAR LOC IN POONCH:
Security forces Friday launched searches in several villages located
close to the Line of Control in Krishna Ghati area in Poonch district of
Jammu and Kashmir.
A source said the army and Jammu and Kashmir police jointly
launched the searches in villages of Sagra and other areas following
“some inputs”.
The searches were on when last reports came in.
BLAST IN LAL MANDI:
A mysterious blast occurred in Lal Mandi area of Srinagar on Friday
evening when the CRPF personnel from the 144 ba™alion were on a
patrol, officials said. No damage was caused in the blast.
"The CRPF men of 144 ba™alion were on an evening patrol and a
mysterious blast occurred. It was not clear whether the blast occurred
due to grenade or a petrol bomb," a CRPF official said. He said a thick
cover of smoke was seen at the site of explosion.
"No damage was caused by the explosion," he said.
SENTRY RESORTS TO AERIAL FIRING IN PULWAMA
A sentry at army camp located in Shadimarg area of Pulwama district on
Friday night fired few rounds in air aer noticing some suspicious movement
near the camp, SSP Pulwama, Chandan Kohli told Greater Kashmir.
He said, “Soon aer the incident searches were launched to trace
the a™ackers.”
NO GRENADE ATTACK IN SRINAGAR: POLICE
In a statement issued late in the night a police spokesman said, “It is
clarified that there was no grenade a™ack on CRPF or SSB in Srinagar. The
sound was caused by bursting of firecrackers in the area. General public is
requested not to pay any heed to rumors.”
JEM CLAIMS 8 GRENADE ATTACKS
Militant outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) claimed that it carried eight
grenade a™acks across Kashmir on Friday.
A spokesperson of JeM in a statement issued to a local news agency GNS
Passengers ...
The passengers assembled at General Bus Stand Jammu
urging authorities to be serious about their problems.
As per officials, almost 800 people are stranded due to
closure of the highway for last five days due to snowfall and
landslides.
“Government should airli stranded passengers as there
are women and children who are suffering badly,” the protest-
ers said.
Many stranded families said that prices of commodities have
been hiked as there was no market checking to put rates in
order. “Some of the shopkeepers are taking undue advantage
of our miseries,” they said.
Later, a delegation of Peoples Democratic Party led by MLC
Firdous Tak visited Bus Stand Jammu and interacted with the
stranded passengers. He was accompanied by Parvez Waffa,
Rajat Randhawa, Asim Malik, Shahnawaz Sofi and others.
Interacting with media persons later, Tak said that closure
of the Jammu-Srinagar Highway was not new phenomena and
every year the administration prepares a contingency plan to
meet the emergent situation during winter season.
“However it’s surprising that the State administration this
time is caught completely unprepared as a result of which thou-
sands of people are stranded in Jammu without any help or
assurance from the administration. This is in addition to the
thousands of truck drivers stranded on the highway,” he said.
He said that it was also surprising to know that administration
has failed to even reach out to the stranded passengers who are
spending nights under the open sky at Bus Stand Jammu. The
only help the passengers have received so far is from the local
organisations and traders while the administration seems to be
in deep slumber, he added.
The legislator demanded immediate airliing of the pas-
sengers with the help of army and air force as was done in the
past. He said there was least possibility of opening of Jammu
Srinagar Highway in the next couple of days due to the bad
weather condition and the only way to address the issue is to
airli the stranded passengers to Valley.
The PDP leader also urged the State administration to direct
all the district heads along the highway to ensure proper food
and shelter to the passengers and drivers stranded at different
places.
The legislator later met the Divisional Commissioner Jammu,
Sanjeev Verma, and discussed the problems being faced by the
stranded passengers. He urged for personal intervention of the
divisional head and hoped that the best possible efforts are made
to ensure safety of these people.

‘CORRUPTION A THREAT’
Calling corruption is a “threat that
we all need to counter in the most
concerted, cohesive and determined
manner”, the governor said that this
“menace can be best fought when there
Kashmir has vast hydropower poten-
tial.
“Ratle HEP pending for the last
five years has been cleared for
implementation through a joint ven-
ture with governmentof India. This
850-MW power project will give fur-
and international cricket matches.
Bakshi Stadium Srinagar has been
upgraded as a FIFA-compliant inter-
national football stadium at a cost of
Rs 44 crore. It shall be completed by
June 2019. It can host national and
international football matches”.
said its men carried out grenade a™ack at police station Srigurwara area of
Anantnag in which “one personnel was killed and several others injured.”
He said JeM carried out grenade a™ack on security forces’ party
near General Bus Stand, Anantnag in which several personnel were
severely injured and were taken to a nearby hospital “where their
condition is said to be critical.”
The spokesperson added:“JeM carried out a grenade a™ack
on CRPF camps at Tahab and Rajpora areas of Pulwama in which
several personnel were critically wounded. Rajpora was the fourth
a™ack in a day.”
2000 trucks with...
Goods Transport Companies Association president M S Ronga
told the Greater Kashmir that almost 2000 trucks with vegetables,
cooking gas, livestock, medicines and other essentials are stranded
on the highway. “It has been a norm that despite carrying essential
goods, truckers are not treated as a priority. As a result perishables
get destroyed," said Ronga.
"Oen our drivers and cleaners run out of money. I have made

National Highway...
in Ramban section, posing hurdles in clearance opera-
tions. “Once we start clearance operation, fresh slides
and shooting stones hamper it,” Shah said adding that
every effort was being made for restoration of the high-
way.
Meanwhile, parts of Kashmir experienced fresh
snowfall and rains last night even as meteorological
department has predicted more precipitation at iso-
lated places during the next 24 hours.
MeT officials said that Srinagar recorded 0.2 mm of
rains/snow, Qazigund 4.5mm, Pahalgam 0.6mm and
Kokernag 3.2 mm. The divisional administration has
issued fresh avalanche warning for the people living
in avalanche prone areas in Kashmir division.
Officials said that in view of avalanche threat in
nine avalanche prone districts of Kashmir division
the people living in avalanche prone areas have been
asked to venture out with utmost caution. The warn-
ing has been issued for the avalanche-prone areas
in district Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla,
Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh of
Kashmir division.
MeT officials said Srinagar recorded minus 1.3
degrees Celsius minimum temperature while Pahal-
gam and Gulmarg recorded minus 6.1 and minus 10
degrees Celsius respectively.
Leh town in Ladakh region was at minus 12.9 and
Kargil was coldest at minus 19.8 degrees Celsius,
Jammu 5.6, Katra 4.8, Batote minus 1.2, Bannihal
minus 1.4 and Bhaderwah was at minus 0.8 degrees
Celsius.
Srinagar, Jammu...
With the growth of IT industry and IT enabled Services
(ITES), there is a need to undertake IT related infrastruc-
ture development in a focused manner in the state. Such
infrastructure involves constructed space for being hired
out to firms delivering ITES including call centres, out-
sourcing works, software development, etc. Also, IT Com-
panies establish their offices in areas that have developed
amenities i.e., providing residential, recreational and insti-
tutional spaces with reliable connectivity to existing and
future city centers/transportation hubs.
In both the Capital cities, it is proposed to identify and
develop certain areas in the vicinity of cities or in the
Metropolitan Region that would act as the basis for planned
future growth. For attracting investment to such areas as
also to provide adequate infrastructure facilities to I.T.
Industry, it is proposed that I.T. Parks/City is planned as
a part of it. There will be IT Parks with Towers having the
latest facilities to attract world class investment.
Through the IT Parks & Towers, the investors will make
full use of the recent extension of the benefits under NE
Package to J&K in addition to the existing benefits under
Industrial Development Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir
(JKIDS), 2017 namely Capital Investment Incentive, Inter-
est Incentive, Central Goods & Services Tax (CGST) Reim-
bursement, Income Tax (IT) Reimbursement, Transport
Incentives (TI) and Employment Incentive (EI).
To begin with, a provision of Rs. 20 Crore has been kept
in the Annual Budget of 2018-19 with subsequent annual
inflows of the same order and it is proposed to leverage it
to raise loans of the value of Rs. 200 Crore. This will be used
for creating the necessary infrastructure.
The fih a™ack in a day by JeM was carried out in north Kashmir’s Sopore
in which several personnel were injured, he said adding the outfit’s men car-
ried out the sixth grenade a™ack in Mehjoor Nagar in which several forces
personnel were injured.
The spokesman JeM said it carried Friday’s 7th a™ack on forces’ camp at
Midoora, Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.
The eighth a™ack, he said, was carried out near Iqbal park Srinagar.
196 policemen ...
One hundred fiy three personnel of J&K Police have been awarded
Sher-i-Kashmir Police Medal for Meritorious Service and Sher-i-Kashmir
Police Medal for Gallantry on the occasion. One hundred forty seven police
personnel including 32 Gaze™ed and 115 Non-Gaze™ed have been awarded
Sher-i-Kashmir Police Medal for Gallantry. Six officers have been awarded
Sher-i-Kashmir Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
Those who have been awarded with Sher-i- Kashmir Police Medal for
Meritorious Service are ADGP Muneer Ahmad Khan-IPS, SSP Shahid Mehraj
Rather, SSP Rajeshwar Singh, SSP Randeep Kumar, DySP Bodh Raj and DySP
Mushtaq Ahmad Wani.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh has congratulated the awardees
and their families. In his message he has said that the awards show the exem-
plary courage and dedication shown by police personnel in different fields
to the nation. He has wished them more success and recognition in future.
President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services have been awarded
to SP Sham Lal Thakur while Police Medal for Meritorious Service have been
awarded to SSP Zubair Ahmad Khan, DDP Parshotam Lal, SSP Shailender
Singh, SSP Mumtaz Ahmed, SSP Rashmi Wazir, SSP Sheikh Junaid Mah-
mood, SSP Roop Raj, DySP Varinder Kumar, DySP Syed Mohi-u-Din Andrabi,
Inspr (M) Nazir Ahmad Yatoo, ASI Bhikam Chand, ASI Reyaz Ahmad Shah,
HC Sunil Jalla, HC Farooq Ahmad Mir, HC Nisar Ahmad Bhat, HC Darshan
Lal and SgCt Syed Muzamil Shabir.
representation to the administration, appealing to open ration
depots in Qazigund and Udhampur so that a™a, rice and kerosene
are available on the highway for the stranded truckers,” Ronga
said. Ronga said shopkeepers and restaurants on the highway
are indulging in profiteering which proves to be a burden on the
truckers.
President, Parimpora Fruit Mandi, Basheer Ahmad Bashir said
700 truckloads of vegetables and fruits are stranded on the high-
way. “Fruits such as grapes, pomegranates, bananas, oranges, etc.
are in transit and don’t last long if held back. Among the vegetables,
peas have very short shelf-life, so being stranded for long can lead
to these perishables ge™ing destroyed,” Bashir said.
All Kashmir Wholesale Mu™on Dealers Association general
secretary Mehraj-u-din Ganie said 150 truckloads of livestock
are stranded on the highway, especially between Chanderkot to
Udhampur, adding that mu™on dealers are facing daily losses.
“Trucks carrying livestock from Jammu to Srinagar are stuck
and we are facing a loss of Rs 10 lakh daily. In addition, a serious
threat is posed to the health of livestock due to cold weather condi-
tions,” he said.
Adding to the miseries of truck drivers, they said, many shop-
keepers have raised the prices of basic commodities and are taking
undue advantage of their problems. Ganie added that mu™on deal-
ers have demanded construction of sheds by the state government
at Ramban.
“This can help us to transfer the livestock temporarily to these
sheds till the highway opens,” Ganie said. Commenting on the avail-
able mu™on stock position, Ganie said it has drastically reduced
in the last few days ever since highway was closed. “If it continues
to be closed, then we are in for worst. We request authorities that
truckloads with livestock be allowed to move on priority,” Ganie
said.
According to an oil marketing company official, 55 trucks carry-
ing LPG cylinders are stuck on the highway.

        CMYK        