Army prioritises civilian traffic, ambulances on NH44: GoI

Srinagar, Nov 29: The Indian Army does not block civilian traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH44), and ambulances are always given priority during convoy movements, the government informed Parliament on Friday.
Responding to concerns raised by Srinagar MP Ruhullah Mehdi about frequent traffic halts on NH44 due to military movements, Minister of State for Defence, Sanjay Seth, clarified that managing traffic is the responsibility of local authorities, including the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
The minister said that regular army and paramilitary convoys travel between Jammu and Srinagar for operational and administrative purposes.
He added that strict procedures are followed during these movements to ensure minimal disruption to civilian traffic.
“To prevent incidents such as ambushes or attacks, Road Opening Parties are deployed in advance. Traffic is temporarily regulated only at critical points like junctions or U-turns where convoys need priority access,” the minister said.
The minister assured that the Army does not interfere with general civilian movement on the highway. “Ambulances are always given top priority and are never stopped by security forces,” he added.