Confusion and chaos continued on the historic 86-km-long Mughal road as administration announced resumption of passenger traffic from both sides after getting permission from Divisional Commissioners from Srinagar and Jammu while traffic police said no public transport allowed on the road.
A traffic police official told UNI on Monday that only downward traffic (load carriers) loaded with fresh fruit from Herpora, Shopian from 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs towards Poonch in Jammu region on other side of the Pir-ki-Gali. However, no vehicle will be allowed after cut off time, he said.
But, he said, no passenger vehicle will be allowed to ply on the road, which is seen as alternative to Srinagar-Jammu highway.
There was light snowfall on Sunday on the road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region.
However, snow did not had any impact on traffic movement as vehicles carrying fruits were allowed to move, he said.He said no passenger vehicle will be allowed from this side to other side of the Pir-ki-Gali. When asked that government has recently announced that passenger, having valid travel permission from Divisional Commissioner will also be allowed to ply, he said no such order has been received.
However, he said, people from Poonch and Rajouri can travel to Srinagar only after getting permission from Div Com Jammu.Reports reaching here said for the past three days people who wanted to travel from Poonch and Rajouri to Shopian were turned back by the traffic police personnel. Similarly from this side also no passenger vehicle was allowed leading to confusion and chaos. They protested and demanded that they should be allowed to travel since government has announced that passenger vehicles can travel on the road.
The road was closed in December last year due to heavy snowfall. However, before the snow clearance operation was completed this year, lock down was announced due to COVID-19 since March, 2020.
Since then the road remained closed and it was only in August after farmers and political parties urged government to allow fruit trucks to ply since it was fruit season one-way traffic was allowed.
However, passenger traffic remained suspended on the road. Recently government announced to allow travel of passengers on the road after they get permission from the Div Coms of Kashmir and Jammu.
This was however, opposed by the political parties who wanted that every one should be allowed to travel on the road.
Meanwhile, Apni Party (AP) vice president Zaffar Iqbal Manhas demanded withdrawal of alleged anti people order and said that there are some officers in J&K administration who are hell-bent on drawing sadistic pleasure from inflicting more miseries on the people.
He ridiculed the government’s conditional order on partial reopening of Mughal Road for the general public.
Manhas sought personal intervention of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and the chief secretary for revocation of this anti people order.
He said the conditional order issued by district administration on partial reopening of the Mughal Road in which the commuters have been asked to approach Divisional Commissioner’s office before taking to Mughal Road for travel is one such example which reflects the sadistic mindset of anti people elements in J&K administration.
“An illogical order has come at a time when the Mughal Road will now remain open for just two months before its closure for at least six months in the winter. This official diktat has added insult to injury by putting a condition on common passengers who are supposed to seek permission from their respective Divisional Commissioners before embarking on travel via Mughal Road,” Manhas said.
Questioning the logic behind this administrative order, AP vice president has said that it is beyond one’s comprehension that how a hapless passenger desirous to travel from Shopian to Surankot or Poonch or vice versa will first visit Srinagar or Jammu and run from one office to other for the prerequisite permission letter and then he or she will start a formal journey on Mughal Road.
“Similarly, a traveler wanting to travel from Poonch to Shopian or Srinagar will have to first visit Jammu and obtain permission for the journey! This is absolutely bizarre. This order is bereft of any logic and reflects non application of mind,” Manhas added