Kashmir industry body flags business concerns with FM

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) flagged concerns of the business community during an online conference with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.Speaking during the conference, KCCI President Sheikh Ashiq told the Finance Minister that although the slowdown across the country and the globe is on the back of the coronavirus pandemic, but for the Kashmir valley it has had a severe impact over the past 13 months.He sought support from the Finance Ministry for the businesses in the region and said that sectors like horticulture can be a game changer in the valley, which need to be tapped.Ashiq also said that previous meetings with the minister raised a lot of hopes, but developments were yet to take place on the ground.He also informed Sitharaman that the industry body has raised the concerns with the newly-appointed Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha.Earlier speaking at the virtual conference, the Finance Minister said that she recently met Sinha and assured him of support from the ministry towards the financial issues of the Union Territory.
--IANS rrb/sn/kr