SRINAGAR: Traders of Srinagar Fruit Mandi on Monday observed a complete shutdown alleging that perishable fruits and vegetables-laden trucks were unnecessarily stopped on national highway, resulting in huge losses to them.
According to The Indian Express reports, majority of the perishable fruits and vegetables were rotting due to highway blockade and that traders area suffering huge economic losses.
“Since January, fruits and vegetable-laden trucks arriving from different parts of the country are frequently and deliberately being stopped at different spots on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway for weeks together, particularly at Udhampur naka. Similarly, trucks loaded with apples from various cold stores of the Valley were also stopped on the way for days together at Qazigund and various nakas on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway,” said Muhammad Ayub Bhat, general secretary of the fruit association. “This unjustified practice by the Governor’s machinery resulted in losses of thousand of crores to fruit and vegetable growers.”
The traders allege the “lack of proper infrastructural planning and mismanagement of traffic” is causing ‘crippling losses’.
The traders in the Valley agreed to suspend the strike from Wednesday following an appeal in view of Ramzan from authorities and civil society.
“Following an appeal by authorities and civil society, because of arrival of the month of Ramzan, it was decided to suspend the strike from Wednesday in a meeting on Tuesday,” said Ayub.