Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, Apr 14: Scores of fruit growers and dealers are stuck in various States of the country after they had gone there for various business dealings with regard to their trade but could not return home on time.
These traders are currently stuck in Bihar, West Bengal, Azadpur Delhi, Punjab, Bengaluru and Mumbai and are appealing the administration to make arrangements for them so that they can reach home.
Every year, these traders head towards different places in the country in connection with their trade and this year too they did the same sometime before the lockdown was imposed across the country. With the result, they are currently stuck in different places.
“We reached here 5 days before the lockdown was announced in the country; we wouldn’t have left home, but we had business dealings that were to be wrapped up,” Bashir Ahmad, a fruit grower currently in Delhi told Excelsior.
He said that end of March is usually marked with the business dealings and they had gone to accomplish the same, but were stuck.
Another fruit grower said that some people keep the stock stored outside, or some give it out on commission-and in order to keep a track of the same, they had to travel outside but are now undergoing difficulties.
Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union- which is the apex body of all Fruit Associations of the valley in Srinagar has expressed its concern and has appealed the administration to do something for these stranded traders.
“At the end of every Fruit season in the Valley, the Fruit Growers and Dealers used to go to meet there counterparts outside J&K (UT) for settlement of their accounts and sale of CA Stored apples,” president of the Union Bashir Ahmad Basheer told Excelsior.
He said that these traders are stuck at their respective stations outside J&K and their family members as well the union are extremely worried about their well-being.
He added that there are many others in other parts of the country who also traveled there in connection with their trade well in advance of the outbreak of COVID-19.
Both the Union as well as those who are stuck outside have appealed the administration to make arrangements in order to bring them home. “We are requesting LG, G C Murmu and others concerned to make necessary arrangements for air lifting all the Fruit growers and dealers who are stuck outside J&K (UT) because of COVID-19 lockdown,” the Union said.
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