Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 2: Authorities today imposed curfew-like restrictions in Khrew industrial area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district after violent clashes on Friday evening between police and locals over simmering row between two truck unions.
Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama, Neeraj Kumar, told Excelsior that strict restrictions under Section 144 were imposed in Khrew since early morning to prevent escalation of violence. On Friday evening, local men and women had attacked a police vehicle with bricks and stones which resulted in injuries to three cops including a female constable.
After the attack, the police and locals clashed with each other and in these clashes more than a dozen persons including cops sustained injuries. Some of the injured with head injuries were referred to Srinagar hospitals. The locals of Khrew couple of days ago had in a same manner attacked Government vehicles in the area.
More than two months have passed since dispute broke out between truckers affiliated with Zaffron Truck Union and Al Khuddam Truck Union over ferrying cement to and fro factories operating in the Khrew. Despite several rounds of talks and intervention by police and civil administration, the dispute is not dying down and is growing day by day.
The DC Pulwama said that they are trying to pacify both the unions and have also conveyed to cement factory owners to resume their operations. “We will deploy security personnel in the area to secure route for trucks of SRTC and we have asked the cement factory owners to resume their business or else they would face action under Essential Commodities Act,” said the DC.
He said the Government stands on its decision to issue coupons to the truckers for ferrying cement from the factories and won’t allow union interference. The DC further stated that the situation on Saturday remained by and large peaceful in Khrew and he himself was monitoring the situation on ground.
“These truckers as well cement factory owners have to understand that the ongoing row would create economic problems for them while the developmental works would also be affected across Kashmir due to cement shortage,” he added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel