Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 8: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry today voiced their disapproval over the Government’s ban on movement of civilian traffic on the highway for two days each week during convoy movement and demanded its revocation.
The KCCI president, Sheikh Ashiq said that the order has been objected to by all stakeholders and there is a collective demand, by one and all, for its revocation. “Modifications to the order and establishing of helpline numbers have brought no relief. It is an unmitigated disaster for the common man and our economy,” he said.
He said that it is the responsibility of the State to devise a mechanism which does not interfere with the movement of civilian traffic and disrupt normal life. “The people of the State are now being asked to delete Wednesdays and Sundays from their day to day lives. Daily routines are important in all societies but assume critical importance in our situation of admitted economic stress,” he said, adding the order is ill-conceived, bereft of logic and suffers from multiple infirmities.
The president said that the issuance of the order itself is an acknowledgement about the situation not being conducive for holding of elections. “We urge the Election Commission to consider the wisdom of holding elections in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Holding the entire population hostage for conducting a democratic exercise is in itself a contradiction,” he said.
Ashiq added that the implementation of the order has caused irreparable losses to the economy especially tourism and horticulture. “Business establishments and offices along the National Highway have been forcibly closed as a consequence of the ban. Normal life has been disrupted,” he said, adding the present condition of the National Highway prevents it from catering to the volume of normal traffic and reducing two days in a week will add to the existing chaos.
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