Srinagar: Cross-LoC trade completed a year
on Wednesday but the business between Jammu and Kashmir and
Pakistan-occupied Kasmir (POK) continues to be conducted by
barter in the absence of banking and communication facilities.
At a function arranged to mark the first anniversary of
the cross-border trade, State Industries and Commerce Minister
S S Slathia said a Rs 40-crore project was approved for
providing better facilities at the trading centre.
He said about ten acres of land was identified for
expanding the centre. The function was organised at
Salamabad-Uri, 100 kms from here.
In the absence of banking and communication facilities,
it was traders` enthusiasm that keeps the trade going.
"What keeps the trade going despite many odds was
traders` dedication and enthusiasm," a spokesman of a traders
group said.
The trade between two parts of divided Kashmir started on
October 21 last year.
A total of 123 consignments had crossed the LoC through
Srinagar-Muzaffrabad road since the launch of trade.
The spokesman said 190 traders were engaged in trading
activities.
Bureau Report
