QAZIGUND – Scores of truck drivers stranded along the Srinagar-Jammu highway on Thursday staged a strong protest against the alleged discrimination by the traffic department.
The truck drivers mostly outsiders alleged that they were stranded on the highway near Qazigund from past 14 days as the traffic authorities were not allowing them to proceed to Jammu despite the road being motorable.
One of the protesting driver from Punjab said that he as well as his conductor were out of stock as they have spent all money they were carrying.
“It’s a hell like situation for us. We are being treated as cattle on this Highway in this chilly winter,” he said.
Another truck driver said that he was carrying apples in his truck to New Delhi but from last two weeks, he along with hundreds of truckers got stranded on the highway.
“The road is through today and yet we were not allowed to proceed towards Jammu,” he said.
An official from Traffic said that stranded truckers will be allowed to proceed towards Jammu once the road condition improves. He said stones from mountain tops are still falling at some places.
Meanwhile, fruit growers in North Kashmir’s Sopore town also staged protest and appealed authorities to allow the stranded trucks on highway to proceed towards Jammu. They said that apples can rot if kept at a one place for a long time.
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