In a first outreach to the business community in Kashmir, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday met the president of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI) and asked him to submit their ₹15,000-crore loss report to Lieutenant Governor Girish Chandra Murmu and the Centre for “further deliberations.”
KCCI president Sheikh Ashiq and several representatives of traders in Jammu met Mr. Goyal in the winter capital of Jammu. The first ever meeting between the traders and the BJP central leadership was initiated by the Union Territory administration of Jammu and Kashmir. It is first such move to look into the losses incurred on the businesses here after the revocation of autonomy on August 5. “I feel your [traders’] pain. There is no denial that losses must have happened. Any report on losses should be submitted to the State government.
The Centre will also look into it,” Mr. Goyal told the traders. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Ashiq said the KCCI, which prepared a preliminary report showing ₹15,000 crore losses to the Valley trade, shared it with Mr. Goyal “who patiently listened and showed positive response.”
