Truck drivers nullify claims of Kashmir Valley economic blockade

Jammu/ /New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): Truck drivers have nullified claims of an economic blockade in the Kashmir Valley, saying that traffic is moving smoothly on the Lakhanpur-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.raffic is also moving smoothly on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Supplies of essential commodities are getting normalised in Jammu and Kashmir. The movement of apples from the Kashmir Valley to various markets across the country is also picking up, official sources claimed.

The Srinagar-Jammu- Lakhanpur National Highway has been fully sanitized and round the clock traffic movement is being ensured.

According to official sources, for the past 12 days over 9,000 trucks carrying fruit, merchandised medicine, petroleum products, LPG cylinders and other essential commodities have been transported from both sides.

The truck drivers said that with the army personnel deployed on the highway, they were plying their vehicles fearlessly.

"Now it is all fine, there is no blockade, we are not facing any problem and the traffic is running smoothly. There are army personnel and police deployed everywhere, they are helping us out. The Government has made all arrangement to make the situation normal," said Kulwant Singh, a truck driver.

Among 2600 trucks that had entered the state during past four days, 1137 have arrived in the Valley.

"Our trucks are plying normally, the trucks are coming in and going out of the state, there is no problem now," said Khushwant Singh, another truck driver.

The State Government has taken many steps to instill confidence among the truck drivers and the locals in an attempt to restore normalcy. Efforts are being made to bring back peace to the region. Authorities said the markets across the country are eagerly waiting for their stock of Kashmiri apples.

Meanwhile, truck drivers in national capital's wholesale fruit and vegetable market, Azadpur Mandi, said that the market is abuzz with activity and the deployment of army along the strategic highway is helping them.

"Army personnel are deployed there and they are helping us a lot, even the police force is helping us," said Raju Rai Singh, a truck driver.

Supplies to and from the state, especially the Kashmir valley were affected due to the protests and violence in Jammu region after the State Government revoked its order to transfer forestland to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. (ANI)