Biz community holds anti-govt roadshow
Our Correspondent
Srinagar, February 27
The Kashmir business community today staged a roadshow and protest against the state government over their failure to mitigate the sufferings of flood-affected traders in the Valley. They said they have been waiting for the past four months, but the government did not notice their sufferings post floods.
Under the banner of the Kashmir Traders and Manufactures Federation (KTMF), a union of trade and commerce bodies in Kashmir, the road show was held from Maisuma area to Lal Chowk. “We have been told that our demands will be met, but the government has failed to provide any relief. Our sufferings were ignored and have not been heard. We will continue to protest till we are not rehabilitated,” said a protesting trader.
The police soon swung into action as the protests led to traffic chaos. The police detained many of their leaders and lodged them in the Kothi Bagh police station.
Holding placards, the protesting business community raised anti-establishment slogans. The protesting traders castigated the Jammu and Kashmir Bank for failing to meet the expectations of people in Kashmir vis-à-vis rehabilitation of flood-affected traders.
They alleged that the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, which is the largest sought-after financial institution in the Valley, has not given them any sort of insurance money so far.
“Every year J&K Bank itself auto renews our insurance and this time they say that we had not renewed it in September when the whole Valley was deluged,” said Mohammad Sadiq Bakal, president KTMF. “We have already suffered huge losses. Now, we appeal to the authorities concerned to give us our own insurance money at the earliest so that we can revamp the shattered economy,” they said.
