Jammu, Nov 11: Commercial trade across Jammu city’s vital supply corridors remained paralyzed for the second consecutive day on Monday as hundreds of wholesale dealers, commission agents, and retailers in the Warehouse and Nehru Market areas observed an absolute business shutdown, demanding swift financial rehabilitation and structural safety measures following Sunday’s devastating fire.
All commercial godowns, food grain depots, and grocery wholesale shops in the bustling complex kept their shutters firmly closed in a united display of solidarity with affected shopkeepers whose establishments and inventory—collectively valued in crores of rupees—were destroyed during the Diwali night blaze. Inter-district cargo dispatches and local retail supplies across Jammu division experienced widespread supply chain disruptions as a consequence of the bandh.
Addressing an emergency gathering of merchants, Deepak Gupta, President of the Traders Federation Warehouse-Nehru Market, stated that the business community has been pushed to the brink of financial insolvency due to repeated fire incidents, congested infrastructure, and inadequate emergency response mechanisms. Gupta reiterated the fraternity’s key charter of demands, which includes an immediate ex-gratia grant of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 20 lakh per gutted shop, an official moratorium on commercial bank loan servicing, interest waivers, and the long-delayed allotment of 500 kanals of state land to develop a modern, decongested wholesale logistics hub outside city limits.
The prolonged shutdown has drawn intense attention from both ruling and opposition political circles, with administrative officials holding backchannel negotiations with trade representatives to restore normal market operations. However, federation leaders affirmed that normal trading will only resume once the government issues concrete administrative and financial relief orders.
Published by True Roots Media