Vehicles to ply from Jammu to Srinagar, no traffic from Kashmir for 4th day

Srinagar: Hundreds of vehicles, including trucks loaded with fruit, are stranded for the past four days on Monday, when authorities allowed traffic from Jammu to Srinagar on the national highway, the only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
Traffic from Srinagar to Jammu was allowed last on April 25 on the highway which remained closed for civilian traffic movement twice in a week on Sunday and Wednesday to allow free and secure movement of security force convoy. However, alongwith security force convoy, vehicles, carrying darbar move officials and office record were allowed to ply from Jammu to Srinagar yesterday despite ban.
Jammu and Kashmir police traffic department spokesman on official twitter account said that only stranded vehicles will be allowed towards Srinagar on the highway on Monday. No vehicle will be allowed from opposite direction, he tweeted.
However, a spokesman of Traffic Control Unit (TCU), Srinagar told UNI that highway is through for only-way only and traffic will ply from Jammu to Srinagar today.
Hundreds of vehicles, including trucks carrying fruit and empty oil tankers, remained stranded at different places, particularly at Qazigund, for the past four days as no vehicle will allowed from Srinagar to Jammu since April 25.
Since only one-way traffic is being allowed on the highway, vehicles were allowed from Jammu to Srinagar on April 26. On April 27 traffic was allowed from Jammu to Srinagar to allow darbar move officials to travel from winter capital to summer capital.
On Sunday due to ban civilian traffic was not allowed on the highway. However, civilian vehicles those carrying darbar move officials and trucks loaded with official record also were allowed to ply alongwith security force convoy yesterday. Today also traffic was allowed from Jammu to Srinagar and no vehicle was allowed from Kashmir valley.
The ban orders have evoked strong reaction from leaders of mainstream, separatists and other organizations, including traders, transporters and fruit growers alleging huge losses.
Due to halting of fruit trucks, fruit get damaged, traders said adding similarly vehicles carrying vegetables for Kashmir also suffered damages.
Due to ban and other reasons only once civilian traffic is allowed on the highway in a week due to which valley faces acute shortage of essentials, particular fresh vegetables, meat, chicken and other necessities.
Prices of vegetables has increased many fold while a kg of meat was being sold at Rs 500 against just 380 fixed by the government, people alleged.