Jammu, Feb 6: Accusing state and central government of resorting to harassment, Traders Association Poonch/Chakoti has decided to suspend cross-LoC trade for two weeks.
 “We have been pressing state government to fulfil our genuine and legitimate demands but the government has turned a deaf ear to our plights”, Om Prakesh Gupta, one of the member of Traders Association Poonch told media persons here today adding that the Association has decided to suspend the cross border trade for two weeks.
He alleged that the government was not serious about the cross border trade and traders were being harassed and subjected to unjustified restrictions which is not only affecting the trade but also causing great harassment and loss to the traders.
 “We have been pressing for enhancing the duration of the trade”, Rajinder Vaid, another member of the Association said adding, “If government was serious enough to boost the trade from across the border we should be allowed to trade at least four times a week instead of one time a week”.
One of the traders from Kashmir, Sahraj Ahmed Khan said that the Association had been demanding construction of warehouse, cafeteria and other required infrastructure at Chakan-da-Bagh but government was not giving any positive respond. He said that decision to suspend the trade is unanimous and it would be reviewed after two weeks.
 “We may further increase the duration in case government failed to concede our demands”, he added.
The members said that the government was non-committal about designating the smooth conduct of the trade for which no required infrastructure was being provided.
 “Government was yet to clarify as weather the cross border trade was inter-state, intra-state or an international trade”, they said adding, that the documents with the Custom Department give an impression that it was an international trade. “Kashmiri Badam is free from toll tax but we are being charged with tax if Badam (almond) is traded across the border”, they said while terming it as a double standard of the government.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 6 Feb 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 6 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 7 Feb 2010 00:00:00 IST