Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a high-level meeting to review the transportation and smooth movement of fruit consignments from the Valley to markets outside.

The meeting was attended by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Secretary, Transport Department; IG Traffic; Transport Commissioner; Secretary in Agriculture Production Department; MD, HPMC; Regional Officer, NHAI; and other concerned officers.

During the meeting, the Chief Secretary took stock of the current status of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) and its restoration to full operational capacity. He specifically enquired about the movement of fruit-laden trucks from the Valley and the unhindered passage of other essential commodities coming from outside towards Srinagar.

He further directed that no fruit truck should remain stranded on the highway and instructed the concerned departments to ensure safe and priority passage of these vehicles. He also reviewed the situation regarding vehicles stranded on both sides of the NH-44 and directed for their timely clearance.

While reviewing long-distance transportation options, the Chief Secretary advised the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, to explore the introduction of rail freight services for transporting horticultural produce to major markets such as Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. He emphasized the need to engage with fruit growers in this regard and to coordinate with the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Jammu, to examine the feasibility of such a service.

The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, apprised the Chief Secretary of the availability and adequacy of transport services for fruit growers, informing that sufficient trucks are presently available at reasonable rates and that growers are not facing any major logistical difficulties.

Secretary, Transport Department, Avny Lavasa, further informed the meeting that in case of any shortage of transport vehicles, the fleet of J&K SRTC trucks would be deployed to facilitate smooth evacuation of fruit from the Valley to outside markets, ensuring full assistance to the fruit growers.

The Chief Secretary reiterated that the administration is fully committed to ensuring seamless transportation of horticultural produce, which forms a key pillar of the Valley’s economy, and directed all concerned officers to maintain coordination and take proactive measures to ensure smooth transportation of this crop throughout the ongoing fruit season.