Trade body urges Governor to review restrictions around Dal
Srinagar: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry Wednesday said that the restrictions around Dal Lake for two days during Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to the state were “unwarranted interference in the normal activities of the population”.
A KCC&I statement said that the order “practically seals the Dal Lake and peripheral areas for a two day period and shall cause tremendous inconvenience to tourists and persons associated with the tourism business”.
“Although tourist vehicles have been exempted from the restriction, but tourists have been advised to “restrict their movement to the bare minimum requirement on the boulevard,” it added.
The order, the KCCI said, “has chosen to ignore the sensitive nature of the Tourism business with the bizarre advises to tourists to restrict their movement to the bare minimum”.
“The restrictions prevent local customers from visiting hotels and Mughal Gardens situated in the sealed off zone. The local population of the area residing in the area and passing through are also impacted,” he added.
He said that the restrictions were a “telling indicator of the situation prevailing in the Valley”.
The KCCI said that unlike the restrictions on Amit Shah’s visit, the then union Home Minister, in 2013 “had visited the city centre and interacted with people and shopped there.”
“The Home Minister was in a private car driven by the then Chief Minister and had proceeded to purchase Kashmiri Suits, Fruits and even had ice-cream. Reference of that city-tour is given to demonstrate the minimal disturbance caused to the public although the status of the visiting dignitary was the same as today,” the statement added.
The KCCI urged the Governor’s administration to review the restrictions in view of the disruptions it would cause to the tourists as well as the local population.
KV News
