Author: Reuters
Publication: The Times of India
Date: August 7, 2008
The government on Wednesday managed a frail
consensus on an all-party delegation visiting the troubletorn J&K but
could not mask sharp differences over the Amarnath land-for-pilgrims issue
with the PDP and the National Conference opposing the BJP's demand for restoration
of the land and recall of governor N N Vohra.
A fuel station in Srinagar left high and dry
on Wednesday after a BJP-backed economic blockade triggered a shortage of
essential supplies, including medicines, in the Kashmir Valley. Amarnath protesters
had blocked the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the region's link to the
rest of the country, about a fortnight ago. Vegetable prices, too, have shot
up with Kashmir's apple-growers being the worst sufferers as the crisis has
coincided with the peak import season.
