Srinagar, Sept 9: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday urged Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to operate special trains to facilitate the movement of stranded horticulture produce and essential commodities, following the prolonged closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway due to landslides triggered by heavy rains.
Speaking to reporters outside his residence, Omar said that uninterrupted railway tracks offered an alternative route for supplies and asked the Railway Ministry to operate two to four trains for transporting essential goods into the valley and moving fruit to terminal markets across the country. “If this is arranged, people in the region will get some relief,” he said.
Chief Minister said that hundreds of trucks carrying perishable fruit have been stuck along the highway for days, putting the valley’s crucial horticulture sector at risk.
“The fruit is not being destroyed by rain but is rotting in stranded trucks. The damage to our economy, homes, shops, and public infrastructure due to floods has been substantial,” he said.
Omar also expressed hope that the Centre would compensate the Union Territory for the losses incurred. He added that an inter-ministerial team had already visited the region to assess the situation following Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit. “The Home Minister spent an entire day here. It is not as if assistance has been absent. We expect that the compensation process will be initiated for the damages caused,” he added.
On the political front, Omar strongly criticised the imposition of the Public Safety Act (PSA) on Aam Aadmi Party MLA Mehraj Malik, calling it unjustified and damaging to democratic principles.
“What exactly did Mehraj Malik do to deserve PSA? Was there a law-and-order issue? Any violence or stone pelting? If a mistake was made, the Assembly has procedures to address it under the Speaker’s supervision,” he said. “Such a law should not be invoked. This will erode people’s faith in democracy,” he added.
