Srinagar: Kashmir business leaders on Tuesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, where they submitted a memorandum of demands seeking measures for the revival of the economy. As per the business leaders, the meeting started at 12 noon and lasted for over half an hour. The traders’ delegation led by Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) president Sheikh Ashiq submitted a 14-page memorandum, seeking support for the revival of the economy of Kashmir.
The KCCI said the handicraft sector of Kashmir could receive a huge boost if the Central Government would reserve a minor percentage of Central purchases as well as urge States to purchase Kashmiri handicrafts products including shawls and silk handmade carpets.
This would also greatly support the liquidation of a huge pile-up of inventory in this sector for which the KCCI has also pushed for special funding to the tune of Rs 500 crores.
It also demanded a three-year full GST waiver for travel and tour operators, interest-free or soft loans for survival, and revival of the tourism industry.
“The lack of budgetary assistance and abolition of toll tax without formulation of any substituting protective mechanism has severely impacted the local industries…measures like providing of working capital at concessional interest rates and waiver of interest for the period of lockdown are urgently required to provide sustenance to the local industries,” the KCCI said.
The memorandum also highlighted the need for adopting the Himachal Pradesh model for the welfare of the farming community and a relook of the MSME scheme, claiming that it was not being followed by the financial institutions.
The Jammu and Kashmir known as the “Hoteliers Club” also submitted a memorandum during the meeting. They demanded the identification of genuine cases of land transfer under the Roshni Act for regularization.
They demanded permission for upgradations, refurbishment and renovation of hotels at Gulmarg whose lease of the land has expired.
The business delegation which met PM consisted of Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya, Chairman, Hoteliers Club, Baldev Singh Raina, Chairman, PHD, Kashmir Chapter, Sheikh Ashiq Ahmed, President, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chowdhary Muhammad Showkat, President, J&K Hotel and Restaurant Association, and a few business people who highlighted the urgent issues of the business community of Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting was coordinated by Dr Darakshan Andrabi, Chairperson, WAKF Board, J&K.
The meeting was coordinated by Jammu and Kashmir Waqf chairperson Darakhshan Andrabi.