Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today participated in a high-level virtual meeting chaired by Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari to review the status of restoration of Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Highlighting the difficulties faced by fruit growers and traders due to prolonged closure of the highway, the Chief Minister urged the Union Minister for uninterrupted passage for heavy vehicles. He said while blacktopping and maintenance of the road is necessary, it must not come at the cost of prolonged disruption of vital traffic movement.

“Blacktopping can wait for its turn. But large vehicles, especially 4-axle and 5-axle trucks, cannot be diverted through Mughal Road. This is the only route available for them, and huge number of trucks stranded on the Kashmir side alone, clearing this backlog is crucial,” the Chief Minister said.

He added that the fruit season is at its peak and further delays in transportation are causing heavy losses to growers and traders.

The Chief Minister emphasized that while small vehicles could be diverted, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) must remain open for heavy traffic until all stranded vehicles are cleared. He stressed that blacktopping works should only be undertaken after backlog traffic on both sides is fully cleared.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari assured the Chief Minister that his concerns would be addressed.

He said the backlog of trucks and other heavy vehicles would be cleared on priority before blacktopping resumes. The Chief Minister asked Chief Secretary to ensure lane discipline and to regulate traffic on the highway to facilitate smooth clearance.

Yesterday, Minister for Agriculture Javid Dar inspected the National Highway to make a firsthand assessment of the ground situation and subsequently briefed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in detail about the prevailing condition of the road. Taking note of the disruptions on NH-44 and the loss of vital connectivity with the rest of the country, the Chief Minister spoke with the Union Minister to convey the urgency of the matter. It was in this backdrop that the review meeting was convened, following the Chief Minister’s telephonic request to the Union Minister.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Rana, Javid Dar, and Satish Sharma, Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the CM Dheeraj Gupta, along with senior officials of NHAI, NHIDCL, and other concerned agencies, both in person and virtually.