Rajouri: Underlining need for establishment of a mini warehouse in Rajouri to boost trade and business, business community of Rajouri here have appealed Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor administration to finalise the project assured by than Chief Minister in 2017.
Traders said that after improvement in road connectivity between Jammu and Rajouri and with the opening of Mughal Road, Rajouri is having a potential to become a ‘Trade hub’ but establishment of a mini warehouse is prerequisite for it.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, President of BeoparMandalRajouri, Rajesh Gupta said that trade is backbone of the country and is directly linked with economy of the nation and efforts for its strengthening should be one of the most important priority for Government which unfortunately is not the case in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Imagine what if we traders close our work. We are an important stakeholder in society and you can say that everyone in society, right from head of state to poorest among poor, purchase commodities from traders,” Gupta said.
He said that in Rajouri, traders are demanding an important institution for upliftment of their businesses which has been promised a dozen of times but with no action on ground.
“We are demanding a mini warehouse on the pattern of warehouse in Jammu and this mini warehouse can be established anywhere in the periphery of Rajouri town,” Gupta said adding that mini warehouse will act as a storage point in Rajouri which will ensure adequate backup of stock for traders and will also help traders to purchase stock on more cheap price.
He informed that presently every single item in Rajouri market is brought from Jammu which reaches Rajouri in trucks and after establishment of mini warehouse, we will be able to bring same stock from here only which will facilitate traders of Rajouri.
Besides, he said, after establishment of mini warehouse, stock can be brought to Rajouri in big trucks rather than small ones which will be a cheap affair for traders and will subsequently help in reduction of price of commodities.
Mohammad Umar, another trader from Rajouri said that the district is having a potential of being a ‘Trade hub’ but it require serious efforts from Government side.
“We share borders not only with Poonch district but also with Shopian and after establishment of mini warehouse in Rajouri, we will be able to supply wholesale stock to traders of Poonch as well as to traders of Shopian via Mughal Road but for that we require a mini warehouse here in Rajouri.” said Umar.
ArvindKohli, a trader from Rajouri, told Greater Kashmir that traders from Rajouri have always tried hard to get it established in Rajouri but government never put serious efforts in it.
“When than Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti visited Rajouri in 2017, we put forth this demand and she asked than Chief Secretary to get Rs 50 lakh of initial grant sanctioned for this project but no further step was taken by the government machinery on it thereafter.” he said.
Kohli further said that during recent visit of Advisor to J&Ks LG, Farooq Khan in Rajouri, traders again approached him with this demand who also assured to look into it.
“Traders have put forth this demand many a times and some communication is also going on between different quarters of government setup but there is nothing concrete out as of now,” a government official told Greater Kashmir.