Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, June 30: On the call of Traders Association, the businessmen belonging to minority community observed a complete bandh here today in protest against the failure of the State Government to pay the compensation to the victims of August 9 last year riots.
The irate traders who downed the shutters of their business establishments staged a demonstration in front of DC Office Kishtwar demanding justice to them. They raised slogans against the authorities and the Government and alleged that majority of the traders have been deprived of the compensation as the losses shown by the Committee assessing the same is much less than the actual damage.
They said that these traders have been virtually brought to footpath after torching of their business establishments by the frenzy mob during the August 9 violence last year and it is unfortunate that the administration was also behaving in a biased manner in releasing the compensation and assessing the loss.
Ravi Gupta, chairman of Traders Association said that the majority of traders of the minority community who suffered during the violence have been deprived of the compensation as the losses shown by the Committee is comparatively much less than actual damage suffered by them.
He said 27 traders who could not open their business establishments for a year now have been ignored completely by the Loss Assessing Committee and this will not be allowed to happen. “First we suffered due to the failure of the administration to protect our business establishments and now the Government was even ignoring to pay compensation for the losses suffered which is unacceptable’’. The traders will be forced to launch agitation in case the justice to them was delayed further, he added.
Gupta said that traders protested and blocked road in front of DC Office for three hours. He said the DC later convened a meeting with the traders and also gave directives to Loss Assessing Committee led by ADC, Kishtwar to submit the report at an earliest.
BJP State secretary, Sunil Sharma said that his Party has given two days ultimatum to the Government and in case it failed to settle the issue within two days the Party will launch an indefinite agitation. He also took up the issue with PMO Office and sought immediate intervention of Dr Jitendra Singh Minister in PMO Office who represents Doda-Kathua Lok Sabha Constituency.
When contacted DC Kishtwar, Javed Khan said that there was no bandh however some traders who had certain grievances about the compensation protested and held a dharna in the town.
He said they were protesting saying that less compensation has been sanctioned in their favour and the same be revived. He said the Committee was already constituted and 90 percent traders have been paid the compensation while the remaining 10 percent have grievances and that will be reviewed.
He said the Committee is examining these cases and he has issued directions to it to finalize the report within week’s time.
The leaders of Traders Association including its president Bushan Gupta, vice president Surinder Gupta, Ravi Sehgal, Ranjit Wazir and Lucky Gupta addressed the protesters.
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