JAMMU, Oct 26: Arun Gupta, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Jammu, has expressed deep shock and anguish over the devastating fire that broke out at Shiv Market near Jammu Railway Station late Sunday night, reportedly gutting around 29 shops dealing in dry fruits, clothes, travel accessories and other goods.
In a statement, Gupta said the massive blaze continued until Monday morning, reducing the shops to ashes and causing enormous financial losses to the affected traders. The estimated losses run into crores of rupees, leaving several small business owners facing severe financial distress.
He observed that the incident had not only destroyed the shops and merchandise but had also jeopardised the livelihoods of traders who had invested their lifetime savings in building their businesses. He said most of the affected shopkeepers were small traders and the sole breadwinners of their families, making the tragedy particularly devastating.
Gupta pointed out that the fire had occurred just before the festive season, when traders had stocked their shops in anticipation of increased sales. The destruction of their entire stock and business establishments had pushed them into uncertainty at a time when they were expecting better earnings.
Gupta appreciated the efforts of the district administration, particularly the Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Tehsildars, police officers, including the SP, DySP and SHO, fire brigade personnel and members of civil society for their timely response.
He said their coordinated efforts helped bring the fire under control and ensured that no loss of life was reported in the incident.
Expressing solidarity with the affected traders, Gupta appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the District Administration, Jammu, to intervene immediately and provide all possible assistance to those who had suffered losses.
He urged the administration to allow the affected shopkeepers to reconstruct their shops without unnecessary delay so that they could resume business and restore their sources of livelihood.
Gupta also called for special financial assistance to the affected traders, considering the extensive losses they had suffered and the approaching festive season. He stressed that timely government intervention was essential to help the families recover from the economic setback and rebuild their businesses.
Reaffirming the Chamber’s support, Gupta said the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu, stood firmly with the affected traders and would continue to take up their genuine concerns with the concerned authorities to ensure that their demands received due consideration.
The statement was issued by Manish Gupta, Secretary General, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu.