Jammu, Oct 29: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Thursday assured shopkeepers affected by the devastating fire at Shiva Market near Jammu Railway Station of all possible government assistance, saying special relief would be explored to help them rebuild their businesses and restore their livelihoods.
Choudhary gave the assurance during a visit to the fire-ravaged market, where around 40 shops were gutted in a massive blaze early Sunday, leaving extensive damage and losses for traders ahead of the festive season.
Interacting with affected shopkeepers, he said the government had a responsibility to stand by people in distress, particularly middle-class traders who had invested heavily in their businesses and stocked goods for Diwali and other festivals.
“The government will extend whatever special assistance is possible. It is the government’s responsibility and duty to stand by people in their time of distress,” he told reporters.
The Deputy Chief Minister said he had visited the market on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullahwho was in Delhi for official meetings and was expected to return to Jammu on November 2.
He said he had interacted with Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Arun Gupta, the market president and members of the market committee to assess the losses and understand the concerns of the affected traders.
Choudhary said he would arrange a meeting between the shopkeepers and the Chief Minister and convene discussions with the Deputy Commissioner and the Jammu Development Authority vice chairman at the Secretariat to explore possible relief measures.
Acknowledging that assistance under existing guidelines might be limited, he said the government would examine the possibility of extending special relief in view of the scale of the tragedy.
“If we strictly go by the MHA guidelines and the existing rules, these poor traders may not receive much assistance. But this is a special case because their livelihood is at stake,” he said.
However, he cautioned against promising full compensation, saying it would be impossible to cover all losses. He assured the traders of full cooperation, to the extent possible, to help them resume their businesses.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the timing of the fire had compounded the losses, as traders had stocked goods for Diwali, Vishwakarma Puja and Bhai Dooj. He cited the case of a trader who had reportedly purchased goods worth Rs 50 lakh just two days before the incident.
Describing the extensive damage, he said the intensity of the blaze was evident from the destruction to the shops and their roofs.
Choudhary urged the affected traders to prepare a memorandum detailing their demands and submit it to the Chief Minister during the proposed meeting. He also said they could undertake minor repairs to their shops ahead of Diwali, which falls on November 8.
Emphasising that the issue should not be politicised, he said the government’s response was driven by humanitarian considerations and its responsibility to help the affected traders recover from the tragedy.