Directs officers to mitigate public suffering at the earliest.
Srinagar: Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha has launched a public contact programme in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and held meetings at Reasi and Jammu on Thursday and Friday respectively. Reports said that he expressed dismay over the handling of issues of the public by the officers. He has directed the officers to mitigate public suffering at the earliest.
Official spokesman after the meeting at Jammu said: “People should not be kept waiting for basic services like category certificate, domicile certificate, etc, which can be issued promptly. Further, redressal of public grievances should not be merely paper work. Rather, the public should feel that their grievances are redressed in a time-bound manner.”
After recent media reports quoting Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) that the government was responsible for devastating the economy in Kashmir and questioning the wisdom of the administration, especially in Srinagar, in keeping a lockdown for Covid-19 for five long months, new L-G Manoj Sinha responded positively and met the delegation of KCCI, assuring them of financial package within a time limit.
Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, after meeting Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) delegation, announced a committee to work out modalities for the economic revival of the Union Territory and extend support to its business community.
According to the Raj Bhawan sources, soon after the media reports appeared, Manoj Sinha decided to meet the KCCI delegation for first-hand appraisal of the issues and problems of the business community in Srinagar.
According to official spokesman of the J&K government, Manoj Sinha said the event proved to be gainful for the trade bodies as important decisions were made, including framing of a committee to make an assessment of the overall economic scenario and propose fresh measures to ensure its revival, extension of power amnesty scheme and taking a holistic view of policy/guidelines for registration, renewal/operation of house boats. The government said that the committee would be headed by Advisor to the Lt Governor, Kewal Kumar Sharma, and consists of the financial commissioner, finance department, commissioner secretary, industries and commerce department, secretary, tourism and chairman J&K Bank. Direction was given to submit a report by 1 September 2020.
The L-G directed the committee to “work out modalities for economic revival and propose measures for extending the much-needed support to the business community”.
The KCCI delegation told the L-G how the administration has ignored them and their problems in the past 13 months. They said that even the power amnesty scheme was not being extended despite continuous lockdown. One of the KCCI members said that on the spot, during the meeting, the L-G extended the last date for availing of benefits under the scheme up to 30 September.
KCCI president Sheikh Ashiq Hussian told media after the meeting that the L-G has assured them of redressal of all grievances and has told them that he will try to sort out all the issues relating to prominent business sectors, including industries, hospitality, handicrafts sector, houseboats, tourism, private schools, apple cold storage, and budding entrepreneurs.
Earlier, the KCCI had stated that losses were piling up in Kashmir and due to two clampdowns, so far, the losses have crossed Rs 40,000 crore. Trade bodies in Kashmir have recently said that losses due to the Covid-19 lockdown alone for five months running have reached Rs 20,000 crore. KCCI office bearers told the media that during the interaction with L-G Manoj Sinha, they presented him all the comprehensive reports submitted by them to the Central government in the past 13 months.