Adil Lateef
Srinagar, Sept 26: The 80-days of separatist-sponsored shutdowns and Government-imposed curfews have cost Kashmir economy approximately Rs 10,000 crore even as the unrest that started on July 8 after the killing of top militant commander Burhan Wani is yet to die down.
Prominent civil society member and Valley’s top industrialist, Shakeel Qalander, told Excelsior that the Kashmir’s economy looses Rs 120 crore a day due to shutdown or curfew. “The losses include from all sectors including horticulture, business and tourism. Till 2010, it was Rs 100 crore and now it has climbed to Rs 120 crore,” he said.
Qalander said all the work-force in Kashmir valley is sitting idle and the losses are mounting. “This Rs 120 crore loss a day covers all big and small establishments. Beyond this, we have other losses that include education and psychological. Those losses doesn’t include in this. We are losing in our education sector,” he said.
Qalander, who submitted loss estimate to State Government in 2010 when Kashmir witnessed four-month long unrest, said since September 1989, the Valley has seen 2000 days of curfews and civil curfews. “As per the estimates, these 2000 days have cost us Rs. 2 lakh crore in these 27 years,” he said.
Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president, Mushtaq Ahmad Wani, also said that the losses in 80 days are around Rs 10,000 crore.
“Of course there are heavy losses but during the unrest we have had put business aside because we wanted killings and use of force including pellets to stop,” he said, adding: “for business community, the human loss was paining and all our focus was and is towards peoples’ sufferings.”
Qalander, said the prevailing economic situation is also resulting in retrenchment in private sector. “The retrenchment in private sector of Kashmir is going on at very fast pace because when an employer is not earning how can he pay his employee,” he said, adding that the business community of Valley already owe Rs 30,000 crore to banks.
The industrialist said though it is the responsibility of the State Government to compensate business community for curfew days but he quickly added that there is no such expectation from Government. “In 2008, the then State administration promised compensation to Jammu business community during Amarnath agitation but then nothing was given to them,” he said.
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