Kashmir fruit mandis shut work

Srinagar: Fruit mandis across Kashmir observed a strike on Monday to protest against the continued closure of the highway connecting the Valley with the rest of the country as over 5,000 trucks remain stranded on the road.

Fruit traders said they could suffer a loss of around ₹800-1,000 crore as 90% of the fruit in the trucks is rotten as they are stranded on the road for over 10 days now. Traders have called it an 'economic blockade' and alleged that the authorities are not utilising the full potential to repair the road and make it functional.

"This is the beginning of the season and we have suffered huge losses. It is impossible to recover these losses, which are in hundreds of crores," said Muhammad Ashraf of the Traders Association of Sopore in northern Kashmir. On the highway, several fruit traders were seen crying near their trucks which have been stranded for over ten days.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday inaugurated the Joint Parcel Product - Rapid Cargo (JPP-RCS) parcel train, connecting Budgam to Delhi on Monday. He said about 23-24 tonnes of apples and perishable goods will be transported through the train from today onwards.