Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 18: The residents of Uri Tehsil in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district staged an overnight protest outside Salamabad Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) demanding registration for cross-LoC trade.
The residents of Uri and its adjoining areas converged outside the gate of TFC Salamabad and erected a tent, in a bid to block the way of trade trucks at around 2 am today. The protesters were demanding registration of their names as trans-LoC traders.
The protesters accused the concerned authorities of betrayal as earlier they were promised by Director Industries and Commerce (I&C) that they would be registered as traders. The residents had given names of 45 people for the registration.
Sources said that a large contingent of police arrived at the TFC and forcibly evacuated the protesters from the spot so that the cross-LoC trade doesn’t get affected unlike past. A local trader said that though there was some delay but the trade continued smoothly.
The protesters in the morning again converged and staged the protest over similar demand.
Meanwhile, the Sub-District Magistrate (SDM) Showkat Ahmad told Excelsior that the residents are demanding registration as traders. He said the concerned department is holding a meeting regarding the formalities for the registration in coming days.
The magistrate said that the cross-LoC trade was not affected due to the protest. “The trade was going on smoothly,” he said.
The residents had few weeks ago also staged a similar protest over registration as traders. The authorities that time had assured them that their names would be included within days. However, sensing ‘betrayal’ the residents today again held protest.
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