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| Communication, Banking facilities after Pak nod: Shinde | | Special permits to cross LoC traders soon | |
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Oct 14 : The Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today promised special permits to cross LoC traders. He said that the government of India was waiting for a green signal from the Pakistan Government for allowing banking services to the traders.
While interacting with the Salamabad-Chakoti cross LoC traders at the Nehru Guest House here, the Home Minister assured the traders that GoI will also provide special communication facilities to them and the matter is on top priority and steps in the direction will be taken within a short span of time.
"The Home Minister assured the traders that the union government is serious and sincere towards solving the problems being faced by the trading community and necessary steps in this regard will be taken in the near future", the sources said.
The Home Minister, according to sources, said the government was ready to provide travel permits and banking services to traders, however, these facilities could only be provided after finalizing modalities with the Government of Pakistan. "These things cannot be done unilaterally and are being finalized with the government of Pakistan. We are waiting for their response to certain things like providing special landline telephone facilities", sources quoted Shinde of having told the traders, adding "Special Travel Permits to the traders will be provided shortly to make travel across the LoC easy for them".
While interacting with the Home Minister, the traders presented an 11 point charter of demands to the Home Minister. Apart from demands with regard to travel, communication and banking, the demands also include increasing the number of tradable items, revoking ban on trade of Coconut, X Ray scanning of trucks, increasing storage capacity at trading points, providing insurance and security to traders apart from creating boarding and lodging facilities at the trading points.
Revealing that the meeting between the traders and the Union Minister had been arranged by Governor N N Vohra, the Salamabad Chakoti Traders Union General Secretary Hilal Ahmad Turki expressed satisfaction over assurances from the minister. "We got the feeling that the government is serious towards strengthening cross LoC trade and solving our problems", Turki told KNS, adding "We are thankful to the Governor for arranging the meeting and are hopeful that our problems will be solved as soon as possible".
However, Turki alleged that the Custom authorities at the Cross LoC trade points were creating unnecessary hurdles in the process of trade. "We have been assured that necessary instructions will be passed to the concerned officials and action taken wherever any lapse is found", he added. |
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