Jammu: The traders in Jammu and Kashmir Monday took a dig at the Union government, stating that there was no mention of the business community and the much-needed upgradation of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway in the Union Budget despite assurances for the upliftment and development of the UT.
Traders whose business depends on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway said that there was nothing for Jammu and Kashmir while the lone project sanctioned will benefit the government only as the traders have been neglected.
Arun Gupta, the newly elected president of JCCI, said that the required things for J&K were ignored in the Union budget.
“Other states have got a good share in the budget but our UT has been neglected totally and it must be reviewed at the earliest, which requires the attention of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
He said that the LG must ensure all the requirements are included in the budget, which have been ignored by the central government.
“Everything required must be in the UT budget for development of Jammu and Kashmir. Tourism industry here needs a boost but unfortunately it has been ignored in the union budget,” he said.
“We will request the LG to propose the languishing work of national highway in UT level budget since the deadlines are often missed,” he added.
Meanwhile, president Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers cum Dealers Union (KVFGCDU), Bashir Ahmad said that it was very unfortunate that there was no mention of the national highway in the Union budget today.
“We’ve not read it but it’s unfortunate. We have already written about the national highway to the government. We had also written about the demand for up-gradation of Mughal road,” he said.
“Mughal road just needs a tunnel at Peer Ki Gali since the Srinagar-Jammu highway frequently gets closed even during summers that leads to huge business losses,” he said.
KTMF president, Mohammad Yaseen Khan said that the budget has no mention of Jammu and Kashmir while a megaproject announced will benefit the government only.
He said that the budget has nothing related to the upgradation of Srinagar-Jammu national highway. “Jammu and Kashmir needs all-weather connectivity but unfortunately there was no mention of the highway in the budget today,” he said.
He said that the budget has nothing for the traders despite assurances from the government as the traders have suffered significant losses in the past two years.
Khan said that there is nothing to be happy about the Union budget as nothing has been proposed in the budget to end the miseries, and uplift the business community here.
