Sakina Itoo Asks L-G Manoj Sinha to Ease Convoy-Driven Jams on Srinagar-Jammu Highway

Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo has asked Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to step in and reduce the traffic jams that build up whenever security convoys move along the National Highway in Jammu and Kashmir.

Itoo says she sees the problem firsthand on her frequent trips along the Srinagar-Anantnag-Kulgam-Qazigund stretch. In a post on X, she described ambulances stuck in traffic, students missing classes and ordinary commuters waiting 15 to 30 minutes, and sometimes hours, for a convoy to pass. She asked what the public had done to deserve that kind of hardship.

Her appeal does not call for dropping security. She wants traffic management rules that protect convoys while keeping a clear lane open for ambulances and reducing the wait for everyone else. She framed the request as a matter of how governance feels to ordinary people, not just what it looks like on paper.

Former BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina backed the concern, saying the issue of students and ambulances on the highway should be examined. He added that J&K Police routinely help motorists on the road and would be available to assist, and that any other problems should also be addressed.

The highway already faces frequent disruptions from falling rocks and landslides, and it carries Army and CRPF convoys heading to destinations across the Union Territory. That combination means a single convoy can stall a long line of cars, buses and emergency vehicles, which is why commuters have grown frustrated with the delays.

For now, the demand is simple: a plan that keeps convoys moving safely while making sure an ambulance is never caught behind one. Whether the L-G's office or the security establishment responds with concrete protocols remains to be seen. The full report is available at The Tribune.