Shutdown enters 100th day; Valley trains to resume today

SRINAGAR: The continued shutdown in Kashmir Valley will enter 100th day on Tuesday even as the train services which were disrupted since August 3 ahead of the abrogation of provisions of Article 370, will resume on Tuesday.
The valley had been under restrictions after August 5, when the Centre revoked the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into union territories.
The Centre's decision led to an unannounced shutdown in the valley even as authorities imposed severe restrictions which were later gradually eased out.
On the 99th day of the shutdown, mini buses began plying on some routes in the city on Monday while railways conducted two successful trial runs on the Srinagar-Baramulla stretch ahead of resumption of the train service on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, restrictions under Section 144 CrPC, prohibiting assemble of four or more persons, continued as a precautionary measure in the valley on Monday, police said. However, there is no curfew in any part of the valley.
A railway official told that railways conducted the trial run of the service for the first time in over three months since the shutdown in the valley.
“The train service on Srinagar-Baramulla stretch will resume tomorrow (Tuesday), while Srinagar-Banihal train service will resume in a few days after checking the track safety and conducting trial runs,” he said.
The railways conducted two successful trial runs on the stretch on Monday after conducting a thorough safety audit of the line.
"After appropriate action and assurance by GRP, J&K regarding safe operation of train in Kashmir Valley between 10 AM and 3 PM, the Firozpur Division will commence a limited passenger service of running two pair of trains between Srinagar-Baramulla-Srinagar with effect from November 12," a Northern Railway official said.
Officials said that on Monday few mini-buses plied on Batwara-Batamaloo route through the city centre for the first time since 5 August.
Inter-district cabs and auto-rickshaws also plied in the city and elsewhere in the valley, they added.
The officials said private transport was plying unhindered and several areas of the city witnessed traffic jams.
The Traffic Department has deployed additional personnel on duty to regulate traffic flow.
Markets opened only for few hours in the morning and downed their shutters around noon, the officials said.
Pre-paid mobile phones and all Internet services continued to remain suspended since 5 August.
Most of the top level and second rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- have been either detained or placed under house arrest.
The government has detained former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah under the controversial Public Safety Act.