SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said he had spoken to Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari about the prolonged closure of the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway, calling for immediate measures to restore the Valley’s only all-weather road link with the rest of the country.
Abdullah, in a post on X, said, “Just spoke to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari regarding the situation along NH 44 and the lack of connectivity with the rest of the country along this vital link. The frustration of fruit growers is understandable. They have been very patient for the first few days but watching their hard work rot because NHIDCL is unable to stabilise the highway, their patience has worn thin and that is totally understandable.” He added that some “concrete steps” were expected within the next 24 hours.
The National Highway has remained blocked for days, paralysing trade and supply chains across Kashmir. Abdullah launched a scathing attack on the central government, urging it either to immediately restore the vital corridor or hand over control to local authorities.
“We have been patient because every day they kept saying, ‘It will open today, it will open today,’ but it never does,” Abdullah told a gathering. “If the highway belonged to me, I would have opened it already. But it belongs to the Government of India. If they cannot manage it, then hand it over to us.”
He argued that local engineers were fully capable of stabilising the route and even offered to deploy a team to restore traffic. “We have engineers in this very room. I can send a team to deploy them immediately,” he said.
While welcoming the launch of a goods train service connecting Kashmir with the rest of India, Abdullah said symbolism was no substitute for systemic relief. “We are thankful one train was started, but it is not enough. Until the highway is fully stabilised, trains must run regularly to support the growers and traders,” he said, urging the Railway Minister to make the freight service permanent.
In a wider political broadside, Abdullah also criticised the Waqf Bill, alleging that it unfairly targeted institutions of one religious community, and welcomed the Supreme Court’s observations on the matter. He further questioned the administration’s use of the Public Safety Act, citing a recent case in which detainees were granted relief by the court, and demanded that the case be withdrawn immediately. -(KL)
