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| Bitter winter of discontent in Valley | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Jan 11: Despite the official claims that the Jammu-Srinagar road has been thrown open for traffic, hundreds of tourists are desperately trying to leave the Valley, but are stuck because of their inability to get passage out of the frozen Valley.
Hundreds of trucks and other types of vehicles are stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu road with drivers and passengers complaining that they are not being allowed to travel out of the Valley by the authorities because of heavy rush and slippery conditions on the road.
While the authorities have been claiming that the stranded passengers and trucks from Jammu to Srinagar have already been cleared and have reached their destination, cell phone callers told the local Radio station and some newspaper offices that because of extremely slippery road conditions their vehicles are stuck between Ramban and Bannihal sectors of the highway.
Many tourists who have booked vehicles to get out of the Valley are now complaining of being overcharged by the transporters and the hoteliers as they are forced to overstay because of the non-availability of transport. Those who recently came back from Gulmarg and Pahalgam have told reporters that the hotels there had neither electricity nor any heating arrangements for the guests which forced the tourists to spend sleepless nights in extreme cold before leaving the tourist resorts.
Suddenly the rates of essential commodities have been hiked by the traders in Srinagar and other towns of the Valley blaming non-availability of stocks because of the highway blockade. Despite the official claims that special market checking squads have been moved out in order to ensure that the prices of essential commodities are maintained, people at many places in Srinagar and other towns have claimed that traders have been overcharging for edible oil, food grains and other essentials of life.
It is a free for all situation as the Valley battles with one of its worst winters these days. Mutton is being sold at Rupees 300 per Kg in Srinagar and all other places in the Valley. Eggs, milk, edible oil, and food grains are also sold in the black market. An artificial scarcity has been created by some dishonest dealers so that they can sell kerosene oil in the black which is presently available at Rs. 27 per litre.
Winter has come as a blessing for those who make money because the state administration has been busy issuing press releases through its information department highlighting success stories which do not exist anywhere on the ground except on the paper on which these are written. |
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