Opening of Reliance Stores & other issues:
Jammu Traders allege discrimination, calls for strike on Sep 22
Neyaz Elahi
Jammu, Sep 18, KNT: Feeling the heat of the annulment of Special Status of Jammu and Kashmir, Jammu based leaders from different groups including Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) have called for a shutdown on September 22 against the opening of Reliance Stores in Jammu.
Some business leaders even appealed Jammuties to stop selling land to Reliance who according to them will prove counterproductive for the local business population.
Secretary General Chamber of Commerce and Industries Jammu, Gauraw Gupta told news agency Kashmir News Trust that strike call has been forwarded in wake of multiple problems they have been facing. “It’s not against opening of Reliance Stores only but Jammu traders are facing a host of issues,” he said.
He said Jammu people especially traders have badly suffered from past couple of years.
“The government attitude towards businessmen of Jammu is atrocious. This government is pursuing directionless policies,” he said.
Chamber said that it has raised issues confronting to them from time to time with the government.
“Firstly it ware wine shop owners who got the jolt by the so-called New Excise Policy and now the Liquor Bar owners are the next targets of the anti-Jammu administration. Hundreds of wine traders have lost their livelihood after the introduction of e-auction of liquor vends in Jammu and Kashmir. Majority of 228 liquor traders lost their shops in the e-auction conducted recently in the Jammu and Kashmir,” Chamber said.
Jammu Chamber also expressed resentment over the proposal of big companies like Reliance to open stores in Jammu in the retail sector, saying that if this happens then small shopkeepers of Jammu will be ruined and their shops will be closed.
“The directionless government has snatched away what was in the hands of local traders.”
Jammu Chamber also expressed anguish over the closure of Darbar Move practice saying it was aimed at maintaining communal harmony and brotherhood especially among the people of Jammu and Kashmir regions and this would now have an adverse impact not only upon the traditional bond between the two regions and their people but also on the business community.
Chamber also said that government also ruined sand mining and brick kiln trade in Jammu.
“The policy adopted by the Geology and Mining Department with regard to allotment of mining and extraction contracts is alarming and against public interest. The lack of protective mechanisms in the policy has deprived thousands of families of their livelihood and exposed consumers to exploitation by a mining syndicate. Over 60% of mining contracts have gone to the outsiders. From contractors to sand diggers, labourers to transporters, who are directly or indirectly associated with the extraction of minerals, all have lost their livelihood,” the Chamber said.
The Chamber asked the Government that why Passenger Tax has been imposed in Jammu and Kashmir when it not applicable anywhere in India.
Pertinently, Deepak Gupta, president, Traders Federation Ware House (Nehru Market), yesterday while expressing strong displeasure over the proposal of big companies like Reliance to open stores in Jammu in the retail sector, said that if this happens then small shopkeepers of Jammu will be ruined and their shops will be closed.
Gupta said that when the Modi Government abolished Article 370, they all celebrated and welcomed it, but in these two years they saw that the small shopkeepers of Jammu are dying out and the big traders of big cities of the country are coming here to do business.
“We saw what happened to the wine traders in Jammu. Now the bars have also been closed. The business of brick kilns came to an end. We appeal to the people of Jammu not to give land to Reliance to open such store to save the small businessmen of their city.
Business fraternity said that if the Government does not listen to them, they will come on roads, hold dharnas and go on hunger strike. He also appealed the people of Jammu not to give land to Reliance to open such store to save the small businessmen of their city. (KNT)
