JAMMU, Nov 11: Senior BJP leader and former Sarpanch Adv Devraj Sharma has welcomed the decision of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to constitute a high-level inquiry committee to investigate the devastating fire incident at the Warehouse, Nehru Market, Jammu, on November 8, stating that the tragedy has deeply affected the business community and pushed several families towards uncertainty about their future.
Sharma said the fire was not merely an incident involving the destruction of commercial establishments but a painful tragedy for traders who had invested their lifetime savings, hard work and years of dedication in building their businesses. For many affected families, these establishments were their only source of livelihood, and the destruction of their shops has brought immense financial and emotional distress.
He said that the decision to constitute an inquiry committee comprising Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Tejinder Singh, and Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Vikas Kundal, reflects the administration’s intention to ascertain the circumstances leading to the incident and examine any possible lapses or negligence.
He expressed hope that the committee would conduct a fair, transparent and time-bound investigation, identify the actual causes of the fire, examine the response of emergency services and fix responsibility wherever negligence or shortcomings are established.
“The direction to submit the inquiry report within 15 days is welcome. However, the affected traders and their families are looking towards the administration not only for an investigation but also for immediate relief, financial assistance and a concrete rehabilitation plan,” Sharma said.
Expressing solidarity with the affected business families, he said that behind every damaged shop lies a story of years of struggle, family sacrifices, hard work and dreams. Many traders have spent their entire lives establishing their businesses, while their children and other family members depend on these establishments for their future.
“Imagine the pain of a trader who reaches his workplace every morning with the hope of earning a livelihood but suddenly finds everything he built reduced to ashes. The loss is not merely financial; it is emotional, personal and deeply distressing for the entire family. We must understand their suffering and stand with them during this difficult period,” he observed.
Sharma urged the Lieutenant Governor-led administration and concerned departments to ensure that the affected traders are not made to run from one office to another for assistance. He called for a transparent assessment of losses, speedy settlement of genuine claims and suitable financial support to help traders restart their businesses.
He also stressed the need for a comprehensive review of fire safety arrangements in Jammu’s commercial markets, particularly wholesale trading centres, warehouses and densely populated business establishments. Regular fire safety audits, functional firefighting equipment, accessible emergency routes and adequate preparedness of fire and emergency services are essential to prevent such tragedies in the future.
He said that Jammu’s trading community is an important pillar of the local economy and protecting its commercial establishments is equally important for safeguarding thousands of livelihoods.
“An inquiry can establish responsibility, but genuine justice for the affected traders will come when their losses are addressed, their businesses are rehabilitated and their families regain the confidence to rebuild their lives. At this difficult hour, the administration must respond with sensitivity, urgency and compassion,” Sharma added.He reiterated his solidarity with all affected traders and assured them that their genuine concerns and demands would continue to be raised before the appropriate authorities.