Srinagar, Oct 30 (HS): J&K Minister for Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare Sakina Itoo on Friday appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the authorities concerned to introduce practical traffic management measures on the Srinagar-Anantnag-Kulgam-Qazigund National Highway, saying convoy movements are causing hardship to the public.

In a post on X, Itoo said that while travelling frequently on the highway, it is “deeply distressing” to see ambulances stranded, students missing classes and ordinary people waiting 15 to 30 minutes, and sometimes hours, for convoy movement. “What fault have our people committed to endure such hardships?” she asked.

She urged the LG and the authorities to explore measures that “uphold essential security protocols” while ensuring uninterrupted passage for ambulances and minimising public inconvenience.

“Security is paramount, but so is the well-being of our people. Security and compassion must go hand in hand,” she said. She added that governance should be reflected not just in policies, but in the everyday lives of citizens, through dignity, sensitivity and meaningful relief.

The ‘alleged problem’ is not new. Civilian traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway has been allegedly stopped to allow the passage of security forces’ convoys since the days after the 2019 Pulwama attack, when Union minister Rajnath Singh announced the measure in Srinagar and sought the public’s cooperation, acknowledging the inconvenience it would cause.

In November 2024, Srinagar MP Aga Ruhullah Mehdi of the National Conference, the party Itoo belongs to, raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, asking whether traffic, including ambulances, is stopped at multiple places on the highway during convoy movement.

In his written reply on November 29, 2024, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth said the Army does not stop or harass civilian movement and that ambulances are always accorded priority and are not stopped by security forces. He said traffic is regulated temporarily, particularly at junctions and U-turns, during convoy movement, and that regulating civilian traffic is the responsibility of the J&K Police and the state authorities.

Mehdi called the reply “full of blatant lies” and shared videos on X that, he said, showed ambulances and other vehicles halted on the highway while a convoy passed.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Zahoor Hussain Bhat