Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir – A senior minister from Jammu and Kashmir has voiced concern over the significant delays faced by ordinary citizens due to routine convoy movements, questioning the justification for the prolonged halts and the resulting inconvenience.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that Sakina Itoo, Minister for Health and Medical Education and Social Welfare, expressed distress over ambulances being stranded, students missing educational opportunities, and general public enduring lengthy waits for passage along the critical Srinagar–Anantnag–Kulgam–Qazigund National Highway.
In a statement shared on the social media platform X, Itoo acknowledged the necessity of security protocols but emphasized that the well-being and dignity of the populace must also be paramount. She stated, “While travelling frequently on the Srinagar–Anantnag–Kulgam–Qazigund National Highway, it is deeply distressing to see ambulances stranded, students missing classes and ordinary citizens waiting 15–30 minutes, sometimes even hours, for convoy movement.”
The minister further elaborated that security and compassion should be integrated into governance, advocating for policies and their implementation to reflect sensitivity and provide meaningful relief in the daily lives of citizens. She asserted, “Let governance be reflected not just in policies, but in the everyday lives of citizens through dignity, sensitivity and meaningful relief.”
Itoo appealed to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other relevant authorities to collaboratively devise practical traffic management strategies. These measures, she suggested, should effectively uphold essential security requirements while simultaneously ensuring the uninterrupted transit of emergency vehicles and significantly minimizing disruptions for the general public.
The minister’s remarks highlight a recurring issue in the region where security-related traffic management, particularly the movement of convoys, often leads to substantial disruptions for commuters, including essential services. The extended waiting periods can have critical consequences, especially for medical emergencies and for individuals relying on consistent transportation for work or education.
Previous reports have indicated that such convoy movements, mandated for the safety of security forces, can cause traffic jams extending for several kilometers, impacting daily life across the Union Territory. Local administrators have, in the past, explored alternative traffic management plans and timings to mitigate these inconveniences, though the issue persists in various forms.
The call from Minister Itoo is a direct appeal to re-evaluate the balance between security imperatives and the everyday realities of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, urging a more humane and efficient approach to traffic regulation that respects the time and needs of the public.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
