Jammu, November 10 : Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Sunil Sharma, on Monday visited the fire-ravaged Warehouse Complex near Nehru Market in Jammu and announced the formation of a six-member committee to assess the losses suffered by affected traders.
The massive fire, which broke out on Sunday evening, completely damaged more than 15 shops, leaving several traders facing huge financial losses.
In a statement, Sharma said the committee had been constituted in consultation with BJP J&K President Sat Sharma. It will assess the damage at both Nehru Market and Shiv Market and prepare a comprehensive list of affected traders.
The committee will be headed by Jammu North MLA Sham Lal Sharma and include Dr Narinder Singh, MLAs Yudhvir Sethi, Vikram Randhawa and Arvind Gupta, along with BJP General Secretary Baldev Singh Billowria.
The panel will take up the matter with the Government to ensure timely relief and rehabilitation for the affected traders. It will also pursue the demand for allowing MLAs to utilise their Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for providing financial assistance to the victims.
During his visit, Sunil Sharma interacted with the affected traders and expressed solidarity with families who suffered losses worth crores of rupees. He assured them of the BJP’s support and called for immediate government intervention.
Highlighting the recurrence of major fire incidents in Jammu’s commercial areas, Sharma said the city had witnessed two devastating market fires within just two weeks, first at Shiv Market near the Railway Station and now at Nehru Market.
He stressed that the affected traders needed more than assurances and called for a concrete relief and rehabilitation plan.
Sharma demanded adequate and time-bound compensation for traders of both markets, over and above the existing relief norms, considering the magnitude of their losses.
He also called for strengthening firefighting arrangements in the Warehouse area through the deployment of additional fire tenders, compact firefighting vehicles and quick-response units capable of accessing narrow market lanes.
Emphasising long-term preventive measures, he urged the Government to identify and allot a separate location for warehouses and the storage of inflammable materials, away from crowded commercial and residential areas.
Referring to the earlier fire at Shiv Market, Sharma criticised the Government over the lack of clarity regarding compensation and relief timelines, urging the Omar Abdullah-led Government to move beyond assurances and take concrete action.
He reiterated that affected traders deserved immediate assistance, fair compensation and proper rehabilitation, while calling for stronger fire safety arrangements across Jammu’s commercial establishments.
Sunil Sharma was accompanied by Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, former J&K BJP president Ravinder Raina, MLAs Arvind Gupta, Yudhvir Sethi and Vikram Randhawa, and BJP General Secretary Baldev Singh Billowria.
