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| Major trade, business organizations boycott pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister | | Refer to December 28 as 'Black Day' in history of J-K | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Dec 28: In an unprecedented move most of the business organizations and trade bodies of Kashmir valley today boycotted the pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister, Dr. Haseeb Drabu.
The business and trade leaders while addressing a joint press conference referred to December 28 as one of the blackest day of state and said that this is for the first time that business community has boycotted pre-budget meeting with the Finance Minister of state.
The business and trade organizations that boycotted the pre-budget meeting include Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I), Kashmir Economic Alliance (Yasin), Kashmir Economic Alliance (Showkat), Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (Baqal), Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA), Kashmir Hotel & Restaurant Owners Federation (KHAROF), Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), House Boat Owners Federation (HBOA), Kashmir Transporters Welfare Association and Contractors Coordination Committee.
"We have been forced to boycott the pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister. The prime reason for same is that despite a lapse of more than 15 months no rehabilitation process has been undertaken by state government for traders. Despite the fact that business community suffered huge losses due to the deluge, no relief whatsoever has been provided to them," said Mohammad Yasin Khan, Chairman Kashmir Economic Alliance (Yasin).
Yasin who is also the Chairman of Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation said that the package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on November 7 has nothing for the business and trading community of Kashmir. He alleged that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) government in Jammu & Kashmir has ditched both the business community and common masses.
Chairman of his faction of Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) Mohammad Showkat Chaudhary said that pre-budget meeting is a 'useless' exercise since the recommendations of business community are not accepted by the people at helm. He said the present government had promised soft loans to businessmen for revival of their business but the 'promise' has not been kept.
"We are never taken into confidence and instead of this we are just informed about the decision. As such there is no fun of holding pre-budget meeting with the Finance Minister. We are not dummies, but important stake holders in the overall economy of the state. We cannot be taken for granted and the people should understand this at the earliest," said Showkat.
Afaq Qadri, Senior Vice-President, Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) alleged that power supply is snapped to all the industrial estates of Kashmir after 5 PM. He said that 'Inspector Raj' has returned to the state and despite lapse of industrial policy for the last one year the policy has not been revised.
Javed Burza, President Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHARA) said that state government has announced that new destinations would be explored. He said no announcement for improving the infrastructure at existing tourist destinations has been made. He added that government should make the position clear otherwise the people running their hotels at existing destinations would be forced to call it a day.
Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, President Kashmir Transporters Welfare Association (KTWA) said that soft loans at the rate of 4 percent simple interest should be provided to transporters so that they purchase new vehicles in lieu of the condemned vehicles. He said that vehicles coming from outside state carrying tourists should be stopped at Pantha Chowk and not allowed to move to different tourist destinations of Kashmir.
Mohammad Sadiq Baqal, Chairman Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (Baqal) expressed dismay that the present state government has brought down the losses suffered by business community due to September 2014 flood. He said if the governments at the centre and state are not able to compensate the business losses then the businessmen should be allowed to seek international assistance. |
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