Hand Over the Highway if You Can’t Fix It: Omar Abdullah to Centre”

Srinagar 15 September :-Amid escalating frustration from fruit growers and business owners over the prolonged blockade of the Srinagar-Jammu highway, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday issued a direct challenge to the Union Government.

He demanded that control of the critical national highway be transferred to the state administration if central authorities are unable to restore it for smooth traffic flow.

Speaking to the press, CM Abdullah expressed his administration’s exhaustion with the continuous delays and broken promises from the central agencies responsible for the highway’s maintenance. He stated that the people of Kashmir have run out of patience as the halted apple trucks are causing massive financial losses to the region’s crucial horticulture sector.“This highway is under the jurisdiction of the Government of India.

If they cannot maintain it, they should simply hand it over to us,” Abdullah declared. “I have a team of engineers ready to be deployed immediately to get the job done.

The Chief Minister revealed that he would personally escalate the matter with Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. “I will speak with Gadkari Ji today and formally request that the highway be handed over to our control and restored for truck movement without any further delay,” he said.

Furthermore, Abdullah addressed the inadequate relief provided by the current railway service. While thanking the Railways Ministry, he emphasized that a single train was insufficient to meet the massive logistical demand. He appealed for regular and expanded train services to give apple growers a reliable alternative to transport their produce to markets.