Following hue and cry on curfew-like restrictions on the Amarnath yatra routes across Jammu and Kashmir, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said the administration is ensuring that the movement of perishable items does not face any hurdle and trucks are allowed to move during the notified time.

He said officials to ensure fruit growers, farmers, and dealers transporting perishable items like fruits and vegetables do not face inconvenience on the national highway. It is the Top priority of the administration to streamline the traffic for both Yatris and traders of fruits and vegetables, Lt Governor said.

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Restrictions have also been imposed in Jammu during the movement of the convoy carrying pilgrims to Kashmir. Traffic jams have become a regular affair in the morning.

PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti said J&K’s economy already in free fall since 2019 is being further crippled due to harassment caused under the pretext of security on the national highway. All transporters and meat or fruit suppliers are suffering massive losses.

The National Conference rued “irksome curbs” on the movement of people, and daily essentials on Yatra routes.

The party expressed strong protest over the halting of fruit-laden trucks on the highway in view of the underway Amarnath Yatra, saying the normal life and business of the local populace living on the yatra route should not be made to suffer.

Urging the LG-led administration to allow smooth passage of fruit-laden trucks on the national highway, the party MP from Anantnag, Hasnain Masoodi, said that the fruit growers have already suffered huge losses over the past several years and now they have to face more losses as fresh fruit-laden trucks are not allowed smooth passage along the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

CPI(M) leader Mohamad Yousuf Tarigami has sought seamless movement of fruit-laden trucks along the National Highway. In this regard, Tarigami has written a letter to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.

In his letter, Tarigami said that the harvesting season of various fruits like cherry, plum, apricot, and early varieties of apples has already begun and every day hundreds of fruit-laden trucks leave for Delhi and other Mandis in the country.

However, trucks ferrying these fruits are being stopped along the arterial National Highway for days together to facilitate the Amarnath Yatris resulting in the total damage to the produce, which incurs heavy losses to the farmers and traders.