Rice per plate @ 200, tea cup Rs 50 

Open loot on Srinagar-Jammu Highway  

NL Correspondent

SRINAGAR: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway becomes a safe haven for shopkeepers to fleece passengers and drivers whenever the road gets closed for the traffic due to bad weather.

Traffic on the 300-km-long National Highway was closed on last Friday due to heavy snowfall and landslides. Traffic was completely suspended for three days before the authorities allowed stranded vehicles to move towards their destinations on Sunday evening.

However, during these days, the shopkeepers were dictating their own prices and creating much embarrassment to the stranded passengers on the Highway.

“Whenever the Highway gets closed, the Dhabawallas and hoteliers are fleecing customers by charging exorbitant rates for food items. I didn't take the dinner for two days as the restaurant owner was demanding Rs 200 for a plate of rice with Rajma,” Mohammad Aslam, a Taxi-Sumo driver said, who was stranded on the Highway for three day along with passengers.

Javeed Ahmad, a government employee, who returned from Jammu along with his family, said there was an “open loot” on the Highway for three days. “For a cup of tea and bread, we were forced to pay Rs 50 at Ramban, where we were stranded for two days due to closure of the highway,” Javeed said.

He said the authorities have failed to keep a check on the malpractices by shopkeepers. “If somebody refused to pay extra charge, they (Dhabawallas, restaurant owners, hoteliers) not only refused to sell the product but indulged in abusive language,” he said.

“There were no facilities available and the shopkeepers are rampantly looting the travellers,” another passenger, Aman Mehra said.

He said he had to pay Rs 800 for a small room per night in a shabby room that was shared by some other stranded passengers.

He said government had made no arrangements for the people who were stranded on the Highway.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan said he will look into the matter. “Government won't allow shopkeepers to fleece customers on the Highway. I will also raise this issue with the Jammu administration,” he added.