An urgent meeting of all the major Bazar Associations was convened at the Chamber House on the request of President Chamber of Commerce & Industry Sh. Arun Gupta to discuss various issues including the opening of Reliance stores in Jammu.
The Presidents of all major Bazaar Associations were present and threadbare discussions were held regarding hike in power tariff and opening of Reliance store in Jammu.
Speaking in the meeting, Arun Gupta said that the authorities should revisit the proposal to hike power tariff as this is not the right time to take such hard decisions because people are currently facing financial crunch due to pandemic corona and its ill effects.
Gupta said that the Power Department has miserably failed to reduce the transmission losses and continuously hiking the power tariff, resulting in uncertainty in the mind of the existing industrial units as well as prospective investors who are in the process of setting up new units.
“The government should take preventive measures to plug the Loopholes in the System and try to control Transmission Losses the areas other than the Industrial Areas and also improve the Infrastructure to control the Transmission Losses,” he added.
Gupta suggested that the Industrial, commercial and essential feeders should be separated to know about the actual losses.
The Presidents of all the major bazaar associations reposed their full faith in the Chamber team and were unanimously of the view that Chamber’s stand has always been justified based on facts and logic.
Later, Arun Gupta along with members of various Bazaar Associations gathered at Tawi Bridge and staged a symbolic protest against the opening of another store of Reliance in Jammu.
The CCI President appealed to the government not to allow this business tycoon to open another store in Jammu as it will directly affect the sales of small shopkeepers, which are already struggling for their sustenance due to rising inflation and several other issues concerning their business. He said that allowing Reliance to open new store will prove fatal for the small businesses in the region which should not be the case as the government has the responsibility to look after one and all in the Union Territory.
Arun Gupta also appealed to the members of Jammu Chamber to assemble at Dogra Chowk on October 16 at 10 AM as a mark of protest against the opening of another retail store of Reliance in Jammu.
Associations who were present in the meeting include Ware house traders federation, Kanak Traders Association , Raghunath bazar association , old hospital road association , Shalimar bazar associationBus Stand Association, Link Road BAzar Association, Purani Mandi Trader Association and others.