LoC trade unlikely to resume soon

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 17

Even as businessmen claim to have suffered a loss of over Rs 30 crore in a month, the government is unlikely to resume the cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade soon.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on April 18 had suspended the cross-LoC trade in J&K, claiming that it was being used for “funnelling of illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency”.

Though the MHA is working out a mechanism to plug the loopholes and block the entry of contraband, explosives and fake currency, there is no activity on the trade centres.

The work on the installation of full-body truck scanners at both the cross-LoC trade routes via Salamabad–Chakoti in the Kashmir valley and Chakan Da Bagh and Rawalkot in Poonch in Jammu is moving at a snail’s pace.

Traders from both sides claimed that they were facing huge losses because of the suspension of the business.

“There is a lot of confusion about the resumption of trade. We have no other option but to believe rumours. We have lost about Rs 30 crore in one month after the suspension of the trade,” said Pawan Anand, president, Cross-LoC Traders’ Union, Chakan Da Bagh.

“The trucks carrying products have been stopped at the LoC. We cannot sell the products in Jammu market as the quantity is large. Same is the condition on the other side of the LoC. We have no other option but to wait for the MHA to announce its decision,” he added.

There are 380 traders on the Indian side and 215 on the other side of the LoC.

The traders also said they did not see any activity by the MHA on the ground and the work on installing a full-body scanner was also tepid.

The scanners are being installed by an international company, Punj Lloyd.

The two cross-LoC trade centres will be the first ones to get the facility, which is not even available at the Wagah-Attari border in Punjab.

The trade was started in October 2008 as part of confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan.