SC seeks Centre, State response on NH restrictions

NEW DELHI, Apr 22:  The Supreme Court today sought responses from the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir on a plea seeking quashing of an order which restricts civilian traffic two days a week on the National Highway (NH) stretch from Udhampur to Baramulla for movement of security forces.
The State Government issued an order on April 3 in which it said that keeping in view the Pulwama terror attack, another car bomb attack on security forces’ convoy at Banihal and movement of forces during the Lok Sabha elections, no civilian traffic movement will be allowed on the NH stretch from 4 AM to 5 PM twice a week.
The order said there would be two “dedicated days every week” — Sunday and Wednesday — for movement of security forces’ convoy when there would be no civilian traffic on the National Highway from Baramulla to Udhampur from 4 AM to 5 PM.
The regulation of the vehicular movement on the NH would remain in force till May 31, it said.
A plea challenging the April 3 order came up for hearing on Monday before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
“Issue notice on the writ petition, as also on the prayer for interim relief, returnable within two weeks,” said the bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.
The plea has been filed by Muzzafar Shah, the senior vice president of state political party ‘Awami National Conference’, and social worker Yasmeen Sonaullah. (PTI)

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