Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 4: Chairman of Jammu Warriors Front (JWF), Rajesh Gupta today urged the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to provide a relief package to industries and traders of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The J&K’s industry, trade and commerce has been facing its biggest and worst economic crisis since August-2019. The cash inflows of industries have been affected since then and the situation is likely to intact for this financial year 2020-21 due to COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gupta in a statement here.
He said that the hotel industry which was already on ventilator due to extension of train service from Jammu to Katra, is going to bear the brunt of COVID pandemic and ongoing lockdown since August 2109 in J&K and even after lifting of the lockdown, there is no imminent start up of international, national and local tourism.
He further said that the tourism fraternity such as hoteliers, travel agents, dhabawallas, dealers dealing in shawls and handicrafts, dry fruits, taxis and auto-rickshaws etc which were already under financial stress form the month of August 2019, have been further hit by Coronavirus pandemic and its consequences will be worse in upcoming days with more challenges due to zero tourism in future.
He demanded the Government should provide some relief package in terms of bank loan repayments and financial help for the revival and survival of tourism sector by waiving off electricity, water and municipal charges for at least one years since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.
He also demanded the J&K Government to make a concrete plans and allocate funds for the underprivileged section of the society.
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