Muneeb ul Haq
Sopore, April 22: With the peak apple season approaching, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, S. F. Hamid, on Wednesday held a meeting with stakeholders of Asia’s second-largest fruit mandi in Sopore, emphasising the need for urgent infrastructure upgrades and better coordination to ensure smooth business operations.
Speaking to The Web Story/The Varmul Post after the meeting, the DC described Sopore as a key hub for the apple industry across the country and the Union Territory. “The main road leads to the fruit mandi, and we discussed all issues — land transfer, development of a shopping complex, macadamisation, and smooth traffic flow during peak season,” he said.
The DC said his entire team, including the ADC Sopore S.A Raina, SSP Sopore Iftkhar Talib, fruit mandi President Fayaz Ahmed Malik (Kakaji) and senior citizens of the town, participated in the deliberations. “We all sat together and decided how to move forward. I am hopeful that all development works will be completed before the deadline,” he added.
DC Baramulla said a rest house would be constructed for labourers working in the mandi. “We will take up the matter with the labour office so that these labourers can be covered under the insurance policy of the Government of India,” he said.
On highway connectivity, the DC acknowledged persistent challenges. “We discussed how to further refine it without impacting facilities or the common masses — infrastructure, traffic diversion, and faster completion of a bridge. Once the bridge is completed, there will be great relief,” he said.
Urging all stakeholders to work together, the DC said, “Whether fruit growers, traders, or civil officers — everyone must work together so that business runs smoothly and people do not face any issues.”
