Srinagar, Feb 6: For Abdul Majeed Gadyaari and his brother Mehraj-Ud-Din Gadyaari, the fire, which consumed their woodcarving units at Naid Kadal in Shaher-e-Khaas last weekend destroyed their everything, perhaps even their future prospects of restarting the family business.
 Some five residential houses and eight business establishments were gutted to cinder in the devastating fire on Saturday night.
 The brother duo says walnut wood goods worth around 40 lakhs went to flames. It wasn’t that the duo was some big businessmen. The locals said they would earn hand to mouth out of this work. “A of lot furniture including heavily carved beds were ready for delivery to the clients on the fateful night. It was our months of work. But for now everything is lost,” says Majed flanked by his brother adding they had been trying to perserve their family trait by running this business.
 “We weren’t earning any big money out of this work. But as this had been the identity for our family for ages so we didn’t give up this ancestral business,” they said.
 Having no insurance of their business units, the duo said their only hope was relief from government.
 But on meeting their local MLA, Ali Muhammad Sagar Monday morning, they got bolt from the blue. “We were told that though some relief in cash and kind could be paid  to the people who lost their houses, there’s no scope for victims like us who lost their business units,” said Majeed.
 A senior government official said there was no norm to pay any relief to such unit holders. “But if the local MLA or the MP wishes, he can get something done for them out of their constituency development fund,” said the official requesting not to be named.
 As if the tragedy wasn’t enough that the police station Khanyaar had declined to register names of both the brothers in the list of fire victims.
 Mehraj, who was in a shock, as per the locals was told by the Thana people that why didn’t he come “in time” to get the name registered.
 Finally, the SP north is understood to have come to know about the matter and assured the victim that his problem would be sorted out.
 But then will registering the name in the list of fire victims really help these brothers associated with woodcarving? Well, the administration says there’s no scope except for relief from the local MLA or the MP.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Feb 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 6 Feb 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 7 Feb 2012 00:00:00 IST