Jammu & Kashmir Economy Badly Hit, Says Ghulam Nabi Azad

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, he said all sections including craftsmen, taxi drivers, hoteliers, houseboat owners, small merchants and farmers have been "badly hit" due to restrictions.

New Delhi: Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Monday that the economy of Jammu and Kashmir has been "badly hit" due to restrictions in place after repeal of Article 370 with small traders facing difficulties and daily wagers finding it difficult to make the ends meet. Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, he said all sections including craftsmen, taxi drivers, hoteliers, houseboat owners, small merchants and farmers have been "badly hit" due to restrictions. "Most daily wagers have no food to survive. The situation is more grim than I had anticipated. At Baramulla, I was denied permission to meet daily wage labourers working in stone quarries who are on the verge of starvation," Azad said. He said transporters had been badly hit and supply of petroleum to the Valley had come down drastically. Azad, a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir who visited Jammu and Kashmir after being allowed by the Supreme Court, said border areas of Jammu had seen increased level of ceasefire violations by Pakistan and it had affected daily lives of people