Share your story and shine at JK Monitor!🌟 Welcome to JK Monitor, where every story matters and every achievement is celebrated! We invite you to share the remarkable journey of your life and showcase your accomplishments to the world. Join our exclusive interviews that honor exceptional individuals just like you. JAMMU: The Centre has once again come to the rescue of Kashmir’s apple growers, while the Omar Abdullah–led NC government stood paralysed in the face of disaster,” said former MLC and BJP J&K spokesperson Girdhari Lal Raina.
He pointed out that after devastating rains, cloudbursts and mudslides crippled NH-44, the lifeline between Jammu and Srinagar, the Union Government acted swiftly to protect farmers from losses worth crores. A dedicated parcel train service was launched from Budgam to Delhi on September 11, ensuring uninterrupted transport of Kashmir’s apple produce.
“In just two weeks, over 6,400 tons of apples have been transported. Each coach carries about 23 tons, with rakes reaching Delhi in under 21 hours. The response from growers is overwhelming, with bookings already full till September 26,” Raina noted, quoting railway officials. Farmers from Pulwama, Shopian, Baramulla, and Sopore are lining up daily for bookings, finding the service faster, cheaper, and more reliable than road transport.
He further highlighted that over 500 tons of essential commodities, including mustard oil and food items, have also been moved from Jammu to Budgam through the same initiative, ensuring supplies to the Valley despite highway blockades.
“This is the difference between a caring government and a government that only finds excuses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and his team deserve the gratitude of Kashmir’s farming community for saving the stressed horticulture sector at a critical moment. The NC government should learn from this decisive governance instead of politicising even humanitarian crises,” Raina said.
He appealed to the people of Kashmir to recognise this contrast and give a befitting reply to those who mislead them by portraying highway closures as a ‘deliberate attack’ on the economy.
