Union Budget 2026: Unmet Promises Leave Kashmir Cut Off In Winters

The delay in completing the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway and the lack of a direct train service continue to cause hardships for people, despite repeated Central government budget announcements to improve connectivity to Jammu and Kashmir.

Besides delays on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway, the much-publicised railway project linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country has failed to improve connectivity. There is still no direct train service to Jammu or Delhi, and key stretches of the four-lane highway remain incomplete. Each winter, snow and landslides cut Kashmir off from the rest of the country for several days.

The Central government has acknowledged delays in the highway project. In December last year, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told the Rajya Sabha that nearly 14 kilometres of the Jammu–Srinagar highway remain incomplete due to frequent landslides and geological fragility. Replying to a question by NC MP Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, he said the delay is limited to a 14-kilometre geologically fragile stretch between Ramban and Banihal, now scheduled for completion by June 2027.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader Salman Nizami says delays in completing the highway have caused serious hardship. He blames the engagement of local contractors with limited equipment and manpower, adding that prolonged four-laning work has led to frequent blockades and travel difficulties.

However, NHAI Regional Officer R.S. Yadav says only a small section remains unfinished. He said a four-kilometre stretch would be completed within three months, with most work finished by the end of December.

Despite repeated announcements on direct rail connectivity, train services still operate only between Katra and Srinagar. Last year, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said ₹844 crore had been allocated to Jammu and Kashmir to boost rail infrastructure.

Northern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said work is under way to make the Jammu–Srinagar direct service operational. He added that work at Jammu railway station is at an advanced stage and plans are in place for a second railway line between Banihal and Srinagar to further improve connectivity. “When the Jammu-Srinagar railway line was built, the idea was to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country, and we are fully committed towards achieving that goal,” added Upadhyay

As Kashmir is completely cut off from the rest of the country during snowfall, when even flight services are disrupted, fruit growers have suffered heavy losses in the past and businessmen have also complained of service disruptions.

Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union, says that due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway last year, the fruit growers in Kashmir faced a loss of over ₹2,000 crore. “The work on the Jammu–Srinagar highway should have been completed at the earliest. Due to the closure of the highway, the supplies from the local fruit markets were also affected, due to which we suffered a massive loss  last year,” he says.

​President of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) Javed Ahmad Tenga says that the Jammu-Srinagar highway is the lifeline for trade, and its frequent closure heavily impacts the industry in the territory. “Since Kashmir depends heavily on consumption from outside,  90% of the goods come to the valley from the Jammu-Srinagar highway. Even most of the raw material for the industries is transported along the same route, and we are heavily dependent on it. Its  closure has led to frequent disruptions.”