By TwoCircles.net, Staff Reporter
Srinagar : Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA), an amalgam of various trade associations has called for a complete shutdown on September 7th to protest against government’s failure to provide financial assistance to people affected by the last year’s deadly floods which caused havoc in valley by brining life on a stand still for a complete month.
The strike call has been given by KEA after holding a meeting Thursday in which representatives of its members associations participated. The trade bodies including transporters, traders and shopkeepers unanimously decided to observe complete shutdown on September 7th against government’s ‘fake promises’ and urged people to protest against Government’s failure to rehabilitate deluge victims.
“We have decided to observe a complete strike on September 7th. A year has passed since floods struck Kashmir Valley but government has so far failed to release any money for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims,” said Chairperson KEA Showkat Chowdhary.
Chowdhary said that Government of India and State government has only paid lip service to flood-affected people by not releasing any rehabilitation package.
“It is our right to demand rehabilitation package. PM has announced Rs 1.25-lakh-crore package for growth and development of Bihar while Rs 44000 Crore is a meager amount compared to the package he announced for Bihar. This clearly shows GoI’s intention to ignore Kashmir which should have been prioritized for development after floods.”
It is important to mention here that the coalition of National Conference-Congress lead State government before expiry of its term had proposed Rs 44000 Crore to central government for the state as part of the flood rehabilitation. Ironically, against the projected demand of Rs 44,000 crore for relief and rehabilitation of the flood-affected infrastructure, the Centre has after a delay of 10 months announced a paltry Rs 2,400 crore.
The Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) chairman Sadiq Baqal, termed the promises of state and central government as mere ‘Lip Service’ as nothing concrete has been initiated to redress their grievances.
“Some of the small traders or shopkeepers have been paid Rs 30,000 each by the coalition government.The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi had assured them of relief and rehabilitation, but nothing had been done so far,” said Baqal
Meanwhile, the top three separatists leaders of the valley have extended support to a shutdown call given by Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) and Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF).
Hurriyat Conference faction headed by octogenarian separatist Syed Ali Shah Geelani in a statement said the amalgam supports the strike call given by various trade organizations on September 2014 flood anniversary. The amalgam said that the Government didn’t concentrate towards the rehabilitation of deluge victims and left them at their own mercy.
The chairman of parallel Hurriyat faction Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has expressed his concern and regret over, what he said, “complete helplessness of Government in providing relief and rehabilitation package to the flood victims despite the passage of a year since the devastated floods damaged the residential and business infrastructure in Kashmir”.
The chairman of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik also extended support to shutdown call on September 7 and appealed people to stage protest against “Government apathy” on that day.