Lockdowns are no solutions
Kashmir valley has been in the grip of lockdowns since the past more than a year now. It was in August 2019 that after the Union government announced the abrogation of article 370 that restrictions besides a communication block down was imposed in Kashmir valley.
It took almost six months for the valley traders, school gores and other private enterprise operators to come to terms as almost after a gap of more than six months things started to limp back on track.
But with the advent of winter and later the Covid-19 pandemic, the situation has turned grave with all sectors of the economy witnessing a massive slide and people here have been left cursing their fate.
The issue that the economy has been facing in Kashmir after the covid pandemic is the non-professional attitude adopted to deal with this vital and crucial sector. The administration which is presently managing all the decisions here has resorted to the most easiest way-out to deal with a pandemic situation that has not only threatened lives but has left an indelible mark on all sectors of the economy.
The running business losses for Kashmir region during the past one year has been roughly put at Rs 40,000 crore as all sectors have been severely hit. Not only has trade and other allied activity come to a grinding halt but the government business too has witnessed a downslide.
Developmental projects worth thousands of crores have been pushed back because the workforce has left the valley. Besides, the work in government offices has taken a hit as the pandemic has meant that all works have come to a standstill.
Kashmir major contributors towards economy Horticulture, Tourism, Handicrafts and manufacturing have taken a severe hit as no export of produce is taking place. Besides, no fresh orders are being generated in the handicrafts sector raising the unemployment levels among the artisans.
Tourism Industry has already witnessed a downslide as more than four to six lakh job losses have been reported in this sector alone. The trade sentiment is dull as no online filing of GST, ITR or even various upgradation is taking place.
In such a scenario the government should own responsibility for the losses and take steps to mitigate the sufferings of the trade community. Besides, the government also needs to push in more capital in the market if at all the situation has to witness any improvement post the August 5 scenario when the state came to a grinding halt all of a sudden.
The centre too needs to stand up to its promises of ensuring growth and development in the region and time is ripe for the centre’s intervention. The sooner it is done, the better it will be.
As far as the local administration is concerned they too need to learn to deal with Covid in a holistic way that includes managing it on professional lines. Announcing a shutdown or a lockdown every other week will lead us nowhere except on the path of total destruction.
KV Network
