Unrest in Jammu and Kashmir leaves many unemployed

Srinagar, Sep 4 (ANI): Frequent shutdowns and recurring imposition of curfew in Jammu and Kashmir has cost many people their jobs as the state loses revenue worth one billion rupees everyday.

The traders have lamented at the steep decline in tourism that has also led to unemployment in the valley.

President of Federation Chambers of Industries Kashmir (FCIK) Shakeel Qalandar said, there has been a loss of about one billion rupees daily due to the unrest.

"Big enterprises, medium and small enterprise that have taken loans and opened shops, factories and service centres, so the fixed expenditure whether you are working or not one would have to pay for electricity, telephone and idle wages have to be given. You will have to pay interest to the banks. Cumulatively, the expenses for all these are about 100 crore rupees everyday," said Qalandar.

Lal Chowk, the business centre of Srinagar has been deserted for almost ten weeks.

Shop owners are also facing the brunt as prolonged and frequent shutdowns have marred the business and they are forced to cut down the number of employees.

"I had ten to fifteen employees and I had to bring it down to half. There was no income so what salary could I give to them? All the readymade items and shops in Lal Chowk are closed for the last three months due to which we are suffering a lot. When a businessman sells then only he would be able to give the employees something, and only then can he buy stocks," said Aijaz Ahmad, a showroom owner.

Employees of the hotels said that the hotel owners are not to be blamed, as there has been no income of any sort over the past couple of months.

"Earlier, the work was very good here. Then the situation deteriorated. Tourists no longer come here. Then the manager of our hotel said that there is no work so you take a leave. The manager said that when there is work we would call you back," said Mohammed Yousuf, a hotel employee.

"The situation here is so bad that no tourists come and there is no business. There were about twenty-five to thirty people who were working. Those people were also given leave," he added. By Parvez Butt (ANI)