Not Acceptable

People of Jammu region are seething with anger as the JK administration has yet to lift restrictions on interstate bus service and the Lakhanpur gateway of Jammu is still in the red zone of pandemic.

Adding to the frustration was the latest government order of the administration that people will have to pay property tax through different municipal committees. The reaction was expected from the Jammu civil society especially from the Chamber of Commerce and Industries Jammu, as they have decided to oppose any such move from the government to collect taxes from the traders.

In Kashmir valley, while the traders have already said that they are reeling under debt and have no money even to pay their daily expenses of families, the political parties have also said that the move of the government was ill timed and not in sync with the ground realities.

Since the abrogation of article 370 on August 5, 2019, Jammu region has equally suffered on the economic front as the Kashmir valley. The heavy security clampdown coupled with long spell of curfew has broken the back of traders in Jammu region.

It was unfortunate that when the government eased the restrictions, it was followed by the lockdown for months together to control the covid-19 virus and now the economy of the entire Jammu and Kashmir after months of paralysis is really in coma.