Srinagar/May,22 : Governor Satya Pal Malik on Wednesday apologised to thepeople for the inconvenience meted out to them by the restrictions on the civilian traffic on Jammu-Srinagar highway, and said that the decision was taken in the national interest.
Talking to reporters after inaugurating the second phase of the Jahangir Chowk-Natupora flyover Governor said “I apologise to the people for the inconvenience they had to face due to the highway restrictions but the ban was imposed in national interest,” . The government had imposed a ban on the civilian movement on Kashmir highway for two days a week after 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men were killed in a blast on highway in Pulwama district in south Kashmir.
On Tuesday, the government lifted the ban completely on the civilian movement on the highway. The governor also said that it is for the election commission to decide about the timing of the legislative assembly in the state and rubbished the allegations that government tends to scuttle the efforts for the conduct of early assembly polls in the state adding that ” government wants the conduct of assembly elections and take over by a popular government at the earliest”.
Earlier, Governor Malik inaugurated second phase of the Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover in presence of other government officials. The second phase of the flyover which stretches over 1.04 kilometres from Rambagh to Alochi Bagh has been constructed at a cost of 37.5 crore rupees.