Meets scores of party workers at party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha
The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday stated that every sector of J&K economy has suffered losses in the last two years saying the incumbent JK Admin has been unsuccessful in kick-starting the sagging economy.
There is no sector of Kashmir’s economy, be it tourism, horticulture, transport, or trade that hasn’t suffered losses in the past two years, said Sagar while addressing scores of delegations of party workers from North and South Kashmir. “Our local economy was already on death bed, the subsequent clamp down and lock downs post 2019 , have further abated any return of the local economy to the Pre August 2019 position, let alone putting it on the path of growth,” he said.
The economic crisis in Kashmir, Sagar said began with the floods in 2014, followed by the demonetization and then successive lockdowns. “Local economy has suffered from the double whammy of natural catastrophes and man-made disasters as well. The crippling impact of 2014 deluge, GST implementation, price rise, Covid-19 induced curbs and resultant instability and chaos has made it difficult for the businesses to spring back,” he added.
He further said the unemployment rate in Kashmir, a month before the August clampdown, was about 14.74 percent but drastically rose in the next six months to 21.08 percent, according to the CMIE. From an estimated 35,63,557 employed in the region, today there are about 29,94,081. At present, the unemployment rate in J&K stands at 21.6 percent, which is the highest in the country,” he said.
Ruling out any signs of economic revival on the horizon, he said that the tourism sector that includes houseboat owners, hoteliers, transporters, and many from the informal economy has been crippled by the lockdowns. “People associated with the tourism sector have been demanding waiving off electricity, water and other utility taxes in wake of the slump in the tourism activity. Their pleas also fell on deaf ears. None of their pressing demands were met effectively. On the contrary the impoverished lot is being intimidated to pay impending electricity and water utility taxes,” he said.
“While the business community is still struggling to revive after the unprecedented developments since August 2019, the fresh spell of lockdown has created havoc with the agriculture, horticulture sectors. Every time such natural disasters hit our agriculture and horticulture sector, the government evades its responsibility to come to the rescue of the affected and trouble torn,” he added.
PM reach-out, he rued turned out to be half hearted measure bereft of any special long term and short term packages for the early revival of Kashmir economy.
“We have had enough of window dressing, chest-thumping and cheer after 2019. The ground situation is very depressing, it is our youth who are at the receiving end of all this. You cannot shut your eyes and ears to an entire set of population and their miseries. The people of JK are yet to see a new beginning of a course correction by the GOI. A magnanimous reach out to the people of JK, particularly our unemployed youth will provide a way forward. Leaving the task to the parachuted bureaucracy will not help,” he added.
