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| Pak rejects banking for LoC business | | CM keen to enhance trade | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, June 14: Even as Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed appreciated the separatists and Pakistan for the heavy turnout in Assembly polls, the neighbouring country, on the other hand, remained non-committal over the issue of further strengthening cross LoC trade for which the PDP patriarch is rooting for all through these years.
In this context, the provision of a hassle free cross LoC trade between India and Pakistan was specially included in the PDP-BJP's coalition agenda for governance on the insistence of the CM as he was very keen to include it in the agenda.
Though Mufti is pressing hard to raise the number of goods being traded presently but the Union Government was not in favor of increasing it though it wants to introduce banking for the financial transactions between traders of the two sides.
However, Pakistan has rejected the proposal out rightly as such a provision is unacceptable to it. Pakistan has also raised objections over sending of goods by non-registered traders due to which it has returned ten trucks loaded with goods.
The situation arising out of Pakistan's move is being closely monitored as in this respect; the state government has sent a detailed report to the Union Home Ministry.
Apart from state government briefing the Union Home Ministry on cross-LoC trade, the Joint Secretary in the Union Home Ministry looking after Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, Rajit Puhnani after reviewing the issues concerning to cross-LoC trade has also updated the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the press status of cross-LoC trade in detail.
According to sources, Pakistan is not in favor of linking the cross-LoC business with banking as Pakistan's Director General Trade has intimated the Indian Custodian of cross-LoC trade, Farooq Ahmad Shah regarding its reluctance over the introduction of banking system for trading.
Amid all the hitch and glitch affecting the cross-LoC trade, the Chief Minister has managed to get Union Government's nod for the introduction of International Subscriber Trunk Dialing (ISTD) facility at theTrade Facilitation Center since the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) received direction from the centre government in this regard, however, some disappointments were also stored for Mufti as his other demands of withdrawing the permit system for those, who visit Pak occupied Kashmir (PoK), and increasing the number of items being traded presently from 21 to 80 has been rejected by the Union Government.
Another aspect which is a source of displeasure for the CM is the luke warm response of Pakistan over increasing the number of trucks transporting goods.
"The Indian side has proposed to increase the number of trucks involved in carrying goods but the Pakistan authorities has not given any response to the proposal," said sources.
It is pertinent to mention here that as a part of cross-LoC trade between the traders of J&K and PoK everyMonday 25 truckloads of goods from both directions exchange sides.
As many as 634 traders are registered in the custodian's office, but more than 400 of them are no longer active.
Sources said that only 200 traders are actively participating from this side in the cross-LoC trade adding that as part of its initiative to boost the cross-LoC trade, the state government has introduced registration of new businessmen with the consent of the Union Home Ministry.
Sources further said that it has been made mandatory for the fresh applicants to obtain a character certificate from the Police. |
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