Recently the Kashmir Trade Alliance released a detailed report about the impact of the five-month-long Covid lockdown in Kashmir valley. KTA told the media, “The five-month-long lockdown had dented the valley’s economy by Rs 21,000 crore and the total loss for the last one year is estimated at Rs 45,000 crore.” The KTA has also uploaded the report on different social media platforms while releasing it to the media in Kashmir.
Such huge losses suffered by the traders of Kashmir cannot be ignored either by the UT administration by the Jammu and Kashmir or by the central government and they know how important it is to provide a stimulus package for the survival of these business sectors in Kashmir.
KTA said that it was an interim report which shows the total loss of Rs 21,320.64 crore in the last five months as a result of the lockdown. In its report, the KTA said that agriculture, horticulture and floriculture sectors suffered a loss of Rs 942.4 crore.
Talking about the construction sector, the KTA said that no activities were allowed even during the relaxation period and claimed that restrictions left 500,000 people jobless in this sector.
When they will come out with a final report showing how each sector of business has suffered in Kashmir valley, it would be late for the central government as already alarm bells are ringing in New Delhi about the impact of the clampdown and lockdown on the Kashmir society at large especially on their financial health.