Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra held a meeting to discuss matters relating to cross-Line of Control trade between divided parts of Kashmir on Wednesday and ordered authorities to complete the verification of all traders in the state within a month. He instructed that traders who cannot be verified be deregistered.
“...Traders who do not furnish the required documents or have doubtful antecedents should be deregistered without delay,” said a Raj Bhavan spokesperson in Srinagar.
The meeting was attended by Director General of Police SP Vaid, Additional Director General of Police (Criminal Investigation Department) AG Mir, Principal Secretary of Industries Shailendra Kumar, Chief Secretary BVY Subrahmanyam, Principal Secretary to the Governor Umang Vohra, and advisors to the government BB Vyas and Vijay Kumar, PTI reported.
The governor has instructed officials to put implement a mechanism to detect smuggling of narcotics and banned items, put in place a system to ensure against undervaluation of goods, and start the process of a one-point screening of all trade vehicles. He also directed that CCTV cameras be installed at the trading centres in Uri and Poonch within two months.
The chief secretary was also instructed to ensure that amendments are made in the Standard Operating Procedure to prevent traders from transferring their turns to others and to ensure that they do not unlawfully involve other persons or their family members or companies. Trade records will now be computerised.
The cross-LoC trade was said to be an important confidence-building measure when it began in 2008, Greater Kashmir said.
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