Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 23: The trans- Line of Control (LoC) traders today accused police of manipulating the transit list of vehicles bound for Salamabad and disallowing 19 vehicles to pass the trade point at Uri despite having required transit route permits.
The traders said that 35 vehicles loaded with goods including mainly dry and fresh bananas were waiting for their turn to pass Uri to reach Salamabad LoC trade point on April 22.
The miffed traders said out of these vehicles 5 had no transit route permits nor were they enlisted by the Directorate of Industries and Commerce for the minimum required period of one year. “People with political influence have hijacked the cross LoC trade, and if the Government does not intervene to bring transparency in it cross LoC trade will disappear altogether”, said Ishfaq, a trans-LoC trader.
However, Joint Director, Planning, Directorate of Industries and Commerce, Mohammad Shafi Wani held traders themselves responsible for their problems. He said vehicles are allowed to pass the Uri trade point on first come first basis, but this system is misused by traders.
“Each trader lines up 20 to 30 empty trucks and waits for the goods to come from other parts of the country. Thus the traders who already have vehicles loaded with goods have to wait for many days for their turn”, he said. This he said has adversely affected the trade which has already shrunk to a great extent.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel