Srinagar: Seven years have passed after devastating floods hit Kashmir valley in 2014, yet many traders and shopkeepers are awaiting relief from the government.
The floods hit the Valley on September 7, 2014, and caused massive damage to property, trade, and other public utilities. The Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) government had announced a flood relief package of Rs. 8,000 crores were distributed to the flood victims by the administration.
However, many shopkeepers and traders say they are yet to get relief. In the outskirts of the Srinagar district, nearly 800 shopkeepers in the Panthachowk market have not been paid a penny by the government.
"We have been enlisted by the administration for relief after verification by all concerned officials, seven years have passed, but the relief is nowhere," Mehrajudin Ahmad, a mechanic at Panthachowk told ETV Bharat. He said that 82 shopkeepers who sell car products and machines suffered huge losses due to the floods.
"Everyone got the relief but we were forgotten. All our products and machines were converted into rubble by the devastating floods, but the government does not bother for us," Abdul Wahid, another shopkeeper told ETV Bharat.
Tehsil administration officials in Panthachowk told ETV Bharat that the traders have a genuine demand and they have verified their cases and found them genuine.
"We have sent the list to the District administration office in Srinagar in 2016 but have not got any direction from the Deputy Commissioner Srinagar yet," the officials told ETV Bharat but didn't speak before the camera.
The shopkeepers have urged Deputy Commissioner Srinagar to release their relief so that they can resume their work.
