Sunil Sharma Visits Fire-Ravaged Nehru Market Warehouse Complex, Constitutes Six-Member Committee to Assess Traders’ Losses
JAMMU, NOVEMBER 09: Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Monday visited the fire-ravaged Warehouse Complex near Nehru Market, Jammu, where a massive blaze broke out on Sunday evening, gutting more than 15 shops and causing extensive damage to traders’ property.
He was accompanied by Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, former BJP J&K President Ravinder Raina, MLAs Arvind Gupta, Yudhvir Sethi and Vikram Randhawa, and BJP General Secretary Baldev Singh Billowria.
During the visit, Sharma interacted with the affected traders and took stock of the losses suffered in the devastating incident, which reportedly destroyed property worth crores of rupees. He expressed solidarity with the victims and assured them of the party’s support.
Expressing concern over the recurrence of major fire incidents in Jammu’s commercial establishments, Sharma said the city had witnessed two devastating market fires within a fortnight, first at Shiv Market near the Railway Station and now at Nehru Market.
He observed that the affected establishments represented the livelihoods of hundreds of families and stressed that traders required tangible assistance rather than assurances alone. He called for immediate relief, a comprehensive rehabilitation plan and effective preventive measures to avert similar incidents.
Following consultations with BJP J&K President and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma, the Leader of Opposition announced the constitution of a six-member committee headed by MLA Sham Lal Sharma (Jammu North). The committee will comprise Dr. Narinder Singh, MLAs Yudhvir Sethi, Vikram Randhawa and Arvind Gupta, along with party General Secretary Baldev Singh Billowria.
The committee has been tasked with assessing the losses suffered by traders at both Nehru Market and Shiv Market, preparing a comprehensive list of affected business establishments and taking up the matter with the Government to secure time-bound relief and rehabilitation.
It will also pursue the demand for permitting MLAs to utilise their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for extending financial assistance to the affected traders.
Sharma demanded adequate and time-bound compensation for traders affected by both incidents, maintaining that the scale of destruction warranted assistance beyond the routine relief provisions.
He also called for strengthening the fire response mechanism in the Warehouse area through the deployment of additional fire tenders, compact firefighting vehicles and quick-response units capable of navigating narrow market lanes. He stressed that such equipment should remain readily available in and around Jammu’s densely populated commercial zones.
Highlighting the need for long-term safety measures, Sharma urged the Government to identify and allot a separate, isolated location for warehouses and the storage of inflammable materials, away from crowded commercial establishments and residential areas.
Referring to the earlier fire at Shiv Market, Sharma criticised the Government over what he described as the absence of concrete follow-up action on its assurances of assistance to affected traders.
He said the Government had promised all possible support following the Shiv Market incident, but neither the relief amount nor a definite timeline for assistance had been made public so far. He urged the Omar Abdullah-led Government to move beyond assurances and ensure tangible relief on the ground.
Reiterating his demand for immediate intervention, Sharma said the affected traders of both markets deserved fair compensation, timely rehabilitation and effective institutional support. He emphasised that the Government must adopt concrete, time-bound measures to address their grievances and strengthen fire safety infrastructure across Jammu’s commercial establishments. ANB
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