Chamber, Bazaar Associations hold protest against opening of Reliance store in Jammu

CCI Jammu president Arun Gupta chairing a meeting of major Bazaar Associations at Chamber House.
CCI Jammu president Arun Gupta chairing a meeting of major Bazaar Associations at Chamber House.

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 15: Members of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI Jammu led by their president Arun Gupta along with members of various Bazaar Associations gathered at Tawi Bridge and staged a symbolic protest against the opening of another store of Reliance in Jammu.
Earlier, during a meeting of all the major Bazaar Associations convened at the Chamber House, Arun Gupta held threadbare discussions regarding hike in power tariff and opening of Reliance store in Jammu with the presidents of all major Bazaar Associations.
Speaking in the meeting, Arun Gupta said that the authorities should revisit the proposal to hike power tariff as this is not the right time to take such hard decisions because people are currently facing financial crunch due to Corona pandemic and its ill effects.
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Gupta said that the Power Department has miserably failed to reduce the transmission losses and continuously hiking the power tariff, resulting in uncertainty in the mind of the existing industrial units as well as prospective investors who are in the process of setting up new units. He suggested that the industrial, commercial and essential feeders should be separated to know about the actual transmission losses.
The CCI president appealed the Government not to allow this business tycoon to open another store in Jammu as it will directly affect the sales of small shopkeepers, which are already struggling for their sustenance due to rising inflation and several other issues concerning their business. He said that allowing Reliance to open new store will prove fatal for the small businesses in the region which should not be the case as the Government has the responsibility to look after one and all in the Union Territory.
Arun Gupta also appealed to the members of Jammu Chamber to assemble at Dogra Chowk on October 16 at 10 AM as a mark of protest against the opening of another retail store of Reliance in Jammu.