Jammu trade group calls for shutdown on Wednesday to protest opening of Reliance stores

The Jammu Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called for a shutdown on Wednesday to protest against the Centre’s move to open 100 Reliance-owned stores in the district, reported the Hindustan Times.

The chamber’s president, Arun Gupta, alleged on Saturday that the move was “discrimination of the highest degree with traders of Jammu by the government”.

This is the first time the traders body has called for a shutdown since the Centre scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in August 2019, according to Outlook.

Gupta said that if such big businesses open in the Union Territory, many small shops would have to be shut down.

“Despite adding opportunities for business, the directionless government has snatched what was in hand of traders which is unacceptable,” he added. “The directionless policies of the government are hitting hard the business fraternity.”

The outfit’s chief also said that the chamber has raised problems faced by the traders of Jammu with officials but the administration has remained unmoved, reported PTI.

“We believe that trade in the Jammu region is being disturbed deliberately as policy decisions are taken in closed rooms without consulting or taking into confidence the stakeholders,” Gupta told reporters.

Gupta said that 228 wine traders have been rendered jobless after the government introduced e-auction…

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