Shinde Says Pak Nod Awaited To Set Up Banking Facilities
Srinagar – The union home minister, Sushil Kumar Shinde, on Sunday announced the centres willingness to issue special travel permits for Cross-LoC traders, and said that it was waiting for Pakistans green signal to set up banking facilities for commerce between the two parts of Kashmir.
In a meeting with Cross-LoC traders here, the union minister said that steps were also being taken to establish land-line telephone links to meet their communications needs, and asserted the centres keenness to give a new direction to the commercial initiative.
In the meeting, the Salamabad-Chakoti Traders Union presented the union minister with an 11-point charter of demands including enhancing the number of items on the trade list, lifting curbs on travel and interaction of Cross-LoC traders, easy screening of goods carriers, better and more storage and warehousing facilities, security and insurance.
The general secretary of the traders union expressed satisfaction at the meeting, saying that the union minister had heard their case with patience and sympathy, and appeared serious about promoting trade between the two parts of Kashmir.
According to sources, the union minister said that including 38 items more in the trading list was being actively considered, and decision would be taken in the near future.
On the complaint that customs officials sometimes created difficulties in Cross-LoC trade, the union minister said that the centre was keen to remove all hurdles in the exercise.
(Observer News Service)
