Cross-LoC Trade In Kashmir On Death Bed: Traders’ Union

“Discrimination Between Kashmir and Jammu Trade Routes”

SRINAGAR – Accusing the state and central governments of flawed policies, the Salamabad-Chakoti Traders’ Union on Friday said that cross-LoC commerce in Kashmir was in death throes.

“There practically are two separate sets laws operating in Kashmir,” the president of the union, Asif Lone, said in a statement.

“While cross-LoC traders’ meetings have been held every month since 2008 at the Poonch-Rawalakote point in the Jammu region, traders have been allowed to meet only twice in four years in the Salamabad-Chakoti zone in Kashmir,” he said.

“Similarly, traders from the Kashmir region only have to face problems from the forest department,” he said.

According to the statement, Lone had met forest minister Mian Altaf in this connection, but nothing had come out of his assurances.

“Traders from Kashmir are kicked around by forest department officials even today, who say that they have no clear guidelines from the government with regard to cross-LoC trade,” he said.

Referring to the central government’s bar on coconut trade across the LoC, he said that the commodity had several varieties some of which came in the category of dry fruit.

“In this connection, we had even forwarded a report by experts, but unfortunately no orders have been issued by the centre so far,” he said.

“Coconut stocks worth crores of rupees are rotting in godowns as a result,” he said. “Cross LoC traders will suffer further because of the state and the central governments if urgent steps are not taken over this issue,” he said.