Jammu, 3 August (H.S.): Stepping up the Jammu and Kashmir Congress’s ongoing public outreach campaign demanding restoration of full Statehood, working president of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) and former Minister Raman Bhalla strongly criticized the BJP Government for what he termed as anti-trader policies and economic mismanagement that have adversely impacted the business community in the region.
A team of senior leaders led by Bhalla accompanied by former Ministers- Mula Ram & Yogesh Sawhney, treasurer Rajnish Sharma , DCC president Jammu Urban Th Manmohan Singh, DDC Taranjit Singh Tony, Satish Sharma, Dwarka Choudhary, Vijay Sharma, Neeraj Gupta, Kapil Singh, Sonu Dogra, Sat Pal Sapolia, Latish Sharma, Vinay Gupta, Vijay Shastri, Sanjeev Katal, Pardeep Bhalla, and others today met the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) members in Jammu and discussed the issue of movement for the restoration of Statehood to J&K as promised on multiple occasions in the past six years.
Addressing a gathering of prominent traders and industrialists during a meeting at the Chamber House here Bhalla said the prolonged denial of statehood has created a Serious governance vaccum, leaving the people of Jammu and Kashmir disempowered and the economic fabric of the region severely disrupted.
“Every section of society is suffering, but the business community of Jammu is especially bearing the brunt of the BJP’s apathetic and unresponsive approach,” Bhalla said and added, “instead of providing relief to traders grappling with mounting losses, the administration has taken decisions that have further burdened them.”
He alleged that the BJP-controlled administration has implemented arbitrary and anti-business measures without consulting stakeholders, further straining an already struggling economy. Bhalla said this approach reflects a lack of sensitivity and accountability, which could only be rectified through the restoration of a full-fledged state in Jammu and Kashmir.
Expressing solidarity with the business community, Bhalla called on them to join the broader democratic movement for the restoration of Statehood, assuring that their issues would be addressed more effectively under a responsive State Government.
The interaction saw an active exchange of views, with members of the Chamber highlighting issues such as unilateral taxation decisions, lack of incentives for local businesses etc.
The meeting concluded with a consensus that restoration of Statehood is not just about political identity, but also about securing economic justice and administrative efficiency.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar
