Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 2 : Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti today urged Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to arrange a special cargo train to transport fruits from the Valley to Delhi, citing severe losses faced by horticulturists due to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and recent floods.
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Addressing a press conference here, Mufti said that the closure of the highway has created major problems for the public, but fruit growers remain the worst affected. “Many of our trucks loaded with fruit are stuck on the road. There is no space in the markets, and cold storage facilities are unavailable. The fruit is rotting in trucks and getting spoiled because it cannot reach the markets in time,” she said.
She added that tourism in Jammu and Kashmir has already suffered after the Pahalgam incident, which has hit the hotel industry hard. “Now the fruit industry is the only sector that has kept Jammu and Kashmir alive in these difficult times. If a train service has been inaugurated here with such fanfare, then its benefits should reach the fruit growers,” she said.
The PDP leader requested the Railway Minister to urgently start a cargo train from Jammu and Kashmir to Delhi so that the fruit can be transported quickly and losses minimized. She warned that the continuing crisis will cause “very bad” consequences for the Valley’s economy if the produce does not reach the markets.
Mufti also highlighted that the floods have caused extensive damage to horticulture and demanded compensation for the affected growers. “There has been a lot of damage due to the floods. We also need to talk about why these floods are becoming so dangerous. Big roads, four lanes, six lanes, tunnels, mining, hollowing the rivers, and cutting down forests and trees and all this has destroyed our environment,” she said.
Mufti said her immediate concern is the plight of fruit growers. “I request the Railway Minister to arrange a special cargo train so that our fruit reaches the markets and the difficulties of the people here are reduced,” she said.
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