Jammu, Nov 11: A high-level delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarians and legislators called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu on Sunday, formally demanding an urgent financial compensation package of Rs 15 lakh per gutted shop for traders who suffered catastrophic losses in recent fires across Jammu city.
The delegation, led by Jammu Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, included MLAs Sham Lal Sharma (Jammu North), Vikram Randhawa (Bahu), Narinder Singh Raina (RS Pura-Jammu South), Yudhvir Sethi (Jammu West), and Arvind Gupta (Jammu East). During the meeting, the public representatives apprised the Chief Minister of the severe devastation caused by the consecutive fires at the Warehouse Nehru Market complex on Diwali night, the Shiv Market near Jammu Railway Station on October 25, and a residential-commercial incident at Pahari Mohalla.
The legislators highlighted that small business owners, commission agents, and wholesale merchants have been pushed to financial ruin, with inventory worth tens of crores reduced to ashes. The delegation submitted a multi-point charter urging the government to release interim financial compensation of Rs 15 lakh per affected unit, facilitate loan restructuring and interest waivers in coordination with public and private sector banks, and grant waivers on commercial electricity tariffs and municipal taxes for the rehabilitation period.
Furthermore, the leaders urged the administration to expedite the long-pending allotment of 500 kanals of state land outside city limits for the development of a decongested, modern wholesale storage hub with built-in firefighting infrastructure.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah gave a patient hearing to the delegation, assuring them that the UT administration is actively working on comprehensive relief measures. He noted that ministerial teams, including the Deputy Chief Minister, had personally conducted on-site inspections to evaluate the scale of damage, and reaffirmed that the government is committed to providing adequate financial and administrative assistance to help affected shopkeepers rebuild their livelihoods.
Published by True Roots Media