SRINAGAR: People-to-people contact need to go beyond divided families, said Dr Shehnaz Ganai during the Calling attention motion in the Legislative Council, with regard to cross LoC trade and travel. She urged that the State Government needs to take up with the Union Govt, to consider greater and hassle-free movement of cultural troupes, students, pilgrims, Patients and tourists across the Line of Control.
On infrastructure at each trade centre, she said that the traders demand that there is need of a full body truck X-ray scanners at TFCs as the process of offloading and reloading for screening causes damage especially to fresh fruits whose value depreciates greatly.
Dr Ganai further highlighted that the availability of limited trade at LoC puts the local traders in great disadvantageous position, and they don’t get benefited to exchange the other local produce available locally, and urged the Govt to enhance the ambit of items to be exported from this side, so as to benefit the local trader and producer.
Dr Ganai while raising the issue said that steps be taken to allow banking facilities, and provide Cross LOC tele communications facilities at each Centre said that the lack of proper communication facility is severe impediment to normal trade. As they have no direct connection with the traders on the other side, traders from the Indian side of J&K have to follow a circuitous route for communication, said Dr Ganai.
Dr Ganai further said that if the cross-LoC trade has to flourish, the most important step is to find a banking mechanism to replace the existing barter system as no modern trade can work on barter system of 21 items undertaken by traders who are not even in direct communication with each other. Dr Ganai stressed to give traders an opportunity to cross the LoC to make market assessments that will allow them to go beyond the ‘blind trade’ system that they operate within.
She said that through a vibrant cross-LoC trade, it is possible to develop the stagnated and backward economy of the state and free it from its dependency. The borders, which have so far played an obstructionist role, making it landlocked, will on the contrary help boost economic growth and make it dynamic, said Dr Ganai.