Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 16: Scores of mutton dealers protested today against the closing of their shops and requested that the government set fair prices.
The mutton dealers gathered at Pratap Park, Press Enclave here under the banner of the Unity of Mutton Traders Association and shouted slogans in support of their demand.
They said that the government routinely shuts down their shops under various pretexts, including selling mutton for exorbitant prices and operating without a license.
“We want to ask the government why our businesses are being shut down, and if overpricing is the issue, why are not they setting fair prices that are acceptable to both business owners and customers?” a mutton dealer said.
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He added that they have attempted to meet with the authorities on numerous occasions to discuss the matter, but they have always been ignored. “We have tried to approach the concerned authorities but have failed to get any response,” he said.
The dealers claimed that their livelihood has been negatively impacted by the government’s lack of concern for them, and they are struggling to maintain their homes. “Our families are suffering as a result, and we urge the government to take the matter seriously and settle it once and for all,” they said.
They claimed that the closure of stores caused the shortage of mutton, which allowed the “unscrupulous traders” among them to sell mutton athigher prices. “Other than that, we have been selling at a rate of Rs 535 per kilogram, which the government set about two years ago,” they said, adding that the prices should be comparable to those in Delhi and other states.
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