Operate special trains to ferry essential goods to valley, transport fruits: Omar to rail minister

Srinagar, Sep 9 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday appealed to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to operate special trains between Kashmir and rest of the country for ferrying essential goods to the valley and transport fruits to terminal markets of the country.

The Jammu Srinagar national highway has been closed following incessant rains and landslides en route, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying horticulture produce stranded.

"Our (railway) tracks are open. I will request the Rail Minister if two to four special trains can be operated for bringing in essential supplies to Kashmir and taking out fruit from here, people will get some relief," Abdullah told reporters outside his private office here.

He said Jammu and Kashmir had suffered losses due to floods and its aftermath on various accounts and he expected that the Centre would compensate for these losses.

"Lives have been lost in Kishtwar, residential houses and shops have been damaged, government infrastructure has also suffered due to floods. Fruit was not damaged by rains but is rotting in the trucks due to closure of the highway," the chief minister.

He said an inter-ministerial central team had come to Jammu and Kashmir for loss assessment after the visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for a first hand assessment of the situation in the wake of devastating floods.

"The Home Minister spent an entire day here. It is not as if no one came here ...We expect that we are compensated for the losses we have suffered due to floods," he added.

Asked about slapping of PSA against AAP MLA Mehraj Malik, the chief minister said it was unnecessary.

"Now what did he do to deserve a PSA? I fail to understand the reason for invoking such a stringent law, what did he do? Was there a law and order problem? Was there stone pelting anywhere? If the MLA had committed any mistake, it can be set right in the assembly under the supervision of the Speaker. PSA-like law should not have been invoked. This will fade the trust and faith of people in democracy," he said.

Abdullah said the LG administration also made a mistake on July 13 by detaining leaders.

"On July 14, they made (another) mistake by using police to manhandle me," he said referring to his visit to the Martyrs' graveyard to pay tributes to those who were killed by the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931.

"On the contrary, there is no action taken against those who have vitiated the atmosphere here by playing with our religious sentiments. Innocent people are being harassed, they are being summoned to police stations," he added. PTI MIJ DV DV