Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 15: Government is taking stringent measures to streamline the trans-Line of Control (LoC) trade by reviewing the registration of the traders so that unscrupulous elements are kept away from the Jammu and Kashmir specific Confidence Building Measure taken in 2008.
The Financial Commissioner Industries and Commerce Department of the State, Khursheed Ahmad Ganai, today assured the traders that Government will review the registration process of the traders.
The measures are being taken after over 9 kilograms of brown sugar was recovered from a Pakistani truck early this month leading to week long trade standoff under which 50 Indian trucks remained stranded in PoK and 22 Pakistani trucks remained stranded on Indian side.
Earlier, the registration process was easy and no documents were needed for the registration. Now the Government is issuing formal orders this week where Police verification of all the trans-LoC traders will be made mandatory and they will be asked to submit their TIN numbers, Pan Card, bank statements and other relevant documents so that the registration of unscrupulous elements is cancelled.
According to records there are around 700 traders registered with trans-LoC trade, however, there are only around 50 traders with 200 companies that trade frequently. Every trader has 4-5 companies registered in the name of their family members and they will also be closed down and a trader will be allowed to run one company only.
The traders urged the Commissioner that a mechanism should be evolved so that the trade is not made hostage to the activities of the unscrupulous elements who use it for drug trafficking.
The Trade Facilitation Officer (TFO) Salamabad, Showkat Ahmad Rather, told Excelsior that stringent measures are being taken to streamline the trade so that only genuine traders are allowed to carry out the trade. He said that the registration of the traders is being revisited and the registration of only those traders who are fulfilling the criteria will stand and others will be cancelled.
Rather said that the new scanners are being installed soon so as to stop entry of drugs and other illegal items into Kashmir through LoC trade.
Ishfaq Shaheen, of JK United Trading Co told Excelsior that trade needs to be streamlined so that the genuine traders don’t suffer due to misdeeds of some unscrupulous elements.
The traders expressed satisfaction over the way the recent standoff was handled and trade was resumed within a week.
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