Traders Protest Lack Of Facilities
Srinagar, Jan 3: Started with much fanfare and as a ‘major confidence building measure’ between India and Pakistan in 2008, the intra-Kashmir trade has run into rough weather as Kashmiri traders Monday suspended the activity indefinitely due to government’s “indifference” to provide basic infrastructure for it.
Annoyed with the attitude of the authorities, the traders today hit the roads in summer capital, Srinagar, and asked the government to “come clean” on continuation of the trade between divided parts of Kashmir across the LoC.
For the past one year, quantum of the trade, which was restarted after 60 years of continued bitterness between the neighbouring countries, had registered huge jump and traders had traded items worth over Rs 400 crore. But the lack of infrastructure at Salamabad Trade Facilitation Center in Uri in North Kashmir’s Varmul district has created confusion among the people associated with the trade. They have been long accusing the state government of failing to provide the much needed facilities including banking, proper communication and infrastructure to continue the trade in “effective manner”. The traders are presently trading their goods across-LoC through barter system.
What has frustrated the traders this time is the lack of proper infrastructure at Salamabad Trading Centre to store goods during bad weather conditions.
“We suffered more than Rs 7 crore losses last week for want of adequate storage facility. We were forced to keep the goods in open during rainy conditions, which damaged truckloads of items,” said President, Salamabad-Chakoti Traders Association, Asif Lone.
From a meagre two trucks a week, the quantum of the cross-LoC trade has jumped to 250 trucks. However traders said there was facility for storage only for 20-30 truck loads of goods at the Centre. Traders said neither there were sufficient godowns at TFC nor have authorities hired skilled porters to load or unload the goods. The traders have been demanding for a long time that the storing capacity should be increased. “With no option left we have suspended the trade for indefinite period. The decision has been conveyed to our counterparts across LoC,” Lone said. “Except promises they have nothing to offer.”
The trade had already received setback many a times in the past and was suspended for weeks together due to lack of banking, communication and other facilities.
“We don’t expect from the government to provide us the banking and proper communication facilities. It will be more than enough if they can set up temporary tin sheds for storing the goods. Let government come open with its plans on the cross-LoC trade. It is not only business but our emotions are attached with it. Kashmiris have given huge sacrifices to make it a reality,” said General Secretary of the Association, Bilal Turkey.
The traders allege that certain quarters in the establishment are hell bent on sabotaging the cross-LoC trade as they do not want expansion of any economic activity between the two parts of Kashmir.
More than 350 Valley based traders and another 10,000 people earn their livelihood directly or indirectly from the intra-Kashmir trade.
“The present government should not treat the cross-LoC trade as an initiative of Mufti Muhammad Sayeed led coalition government. It is an activity benefiting Kashmiris across LoC,” Lone said.
The trade which involves exchange of 21 items each from divided parts of Kashmir is carried out twice a week on Tuesday and Wednesday and on these day trucks from both sides carry goods to other parts of Kashmir.
The items from this part of Kashmir include fruit (fresh and dry), spices, saffron, carpets, wall hangings, woollens, aromatic and medicinal plants, Cricket bats, black mushrooms, green tea, Imli, Dhania, Rajmah. However, during the past several months the government of India banned certain items being exported from other side of Kashmir.
Turkey sought intervention by chief minister Omar Abdullah to address their problems. “We have been paying from our own pockets for any kind of repair work or other arrangements needed from time to time at the Trade Centre. How can government now turn their back on us,” he said.
Minister for Industries, SS Salathia, acknowledged that lack of storing facility was a problem at STC. “We have acquired land for setting up the facility and have kept Rs five crore for it,” he said. Regarding other facilities like Banking, the minister said they had taken up the issue with government of India on several occasions. “But nothing has happened.”
No comments