SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Government will explore special assistance for traders whose shops were gutted in a major fire at Shiva Market near Jammu Railway Station, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said on Thursday, assuring them of support to help rebuild their businesses.
Choudhary visited the affected market on the directions of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and met shopkeepers to assess the damage and discuss their demands. He said the government would examine all possible options for relief, acknowledging that assistance under existing rules might not adequately cover the losses.
“If we strictly go by the MHA guidelines and the existing rules, these poor traders may not receive much assistance. But this is a special case because their livelihood is at stake,” he told reporters.
The fire broke out early on Sunday, destroying around 40 shops and leaving a large section of the market in ruins. The blaze caused heavy losses to traders who had stocked merchandise for Diwali and other festive occasions.
Choudhary said he would arrange a meeting between the affected shopkeepers and the chief minister to discuss their grievances. He would also call the Jammu Deputy Commissioner and the vice-chairman of the Jammu Development Authority to the Secretariat to examine possible measures for their rehabilitation.
“I will arrange a meeting of the affected shopkeepers with the chief minister,” he said, urging the traders to prepare a memorandum detailing their demands and submit it during the proposed meeting.
The deputy chief minister said complete compensation for the losses could not be promised, but assured the traders of the government’s cooperation.
“To say that we can compensate them 100 per cent for their losses would be impossible and would amount to making a false promise. But I can assure you that the government will extend full cooperation, to the extent possible, as a special case to help them restart their livelihoods,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of the losses, Choudhary said one trader had reportedly purchased goods worth Rs 50 lakh just two days before the fire. He added that the extensive structural damage to the shops reflected the intensity of the blaze.
The timing of the incident had compounded the hardship, as traders had invested heavily in merchandise ahead of Diwali, Vishwakarma Puja and Bhai Dooj, he said.
Describing Shiva Market as an old and prominent commercial centre near the railway station, Choudhary said many of the affected traders belonged to the middle class and had invested beyond their financial capacity in their businesses.
He also said the shopkeepers could undertake minor repairs to their establishments ahead of Diwali, which falls on November 8.
