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Routine halting of traffic on NH giving commuters tough time: Itoo
Health and medical education minister Sakina Itoo expressed her distress on the way ambulances remain stranded and students miss classes owing to the road closure every day
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A senior minister in the Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday raised concern over the routine halting of civilian traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway (NH) to allow the movement of security force convoys. This adds to the list of politicians and legislators who have castigated the lieutenant governor administration for the frequent hardships people face daily while travelling in the Kashmir valley.
Health and medical education minister Sakina Itoo expressed her distress on the way ambulances remain stranded and students miss classes owing to the road closure every day.
“While travelling frequently on the Srinagar–Anantnag–Kulgam–Qazigund national highway, it is deeply distressing to see ambulances stranded, students missing classes and ordinary citizens waiting 15–30 minutes, sometimes even hours, for convoy movement. What fault have our people committed to endure such hardships?, “ Itoo said.
Following the Pulwama attack on Febuary 14, 2019, when a suicide bomber rammed his explosive laden vehicle into a CRPF convoy at Lethpora on Srinagar-Jammu national highway and left 40 jawans dead, the security convoy movement on the highway gets first priority which brings all other traffic to a halt. That courtesy was later also extended to yatra vehicles as well.
‘Compassion and security must go hand in hand’
“Security is paramount, but so is the well-being of our people. Security and compassion must go hand in hand. Let governance be reflected not just in policies, but in the everyday lives of citizens through dignity, sensitivity and meaningful relief, “ Itoo said.
Itoo urged LG Manoj Sinha to order unhindered passage to ambulances and other civilian traffic.
Politicians and civil society have often raised this humanitarian issue and sought an end to the recurrent misery people are subjected to on the highway every day. Recently, the issue was discussed in the J&K assembly with some legislators comparing the traffic halts to “Berlin wall”.
The members called it discriminatory to Kashmiris as it forces patients, students, and office goers to wait for hours everyday as security convoys get the first right to pass while civilian traffic comes to a stand still.
“ It has become a sense of humiliation for all of us,” said Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed Para on September 22. Srinagar MP and estranged member of National Conference, Ruhullah Mehdi, has repeatedly demanded the elected J&K government to raise the issue with the Union government.
In 2024, Mehdi asked questions about the issue in Parliament to the Union defence ministry, which responded that traffic regulation was the prerogative of state authorities or the J&K Police.
The minister of state for defence, Sanjay Sethi, on November 29 said the traffic is regulated when the convoys move on the highway. “The Indian Army follows detailed procedures for the movement of convoys with due emphasis on friendly movement of the populace. Owing to security reasons and to thwart incidents like attack/ambush of a convoy in the past, road opening parties are sent out prior to the movement of any security forces convoy. Traffic is regulated, temporarily, particularly at points where laterals meet the NH 44 and at U-turns, during the movement of the army/CAPF convoys,” the response by Sethi said.
The defence ministry also denied that there is any civilian harassment or stopping any ambulances. “The Indian Army does not harass or stop any civil movement on the national highway. The charter of civilian traffic regulation is of the state authorities/J&K Police. Ambulances are always accorded priority for movement and they are not stopped anywhere,” the response stated which was called a “blatant lie” by Mehdi.
