Srinagar: The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has requested Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Pandurang K Pole to arrange direct flights to Srinagar carrying those Kashmiris stranded in other countries.
A delegation of the Chamber met the Divisional Commissioner and discussed a range of issues with regards to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown and its disastrous impact on the business and economy of Kashmir.
In a statement issued on Friday, the chamber said that its president Sheikh Ashiq Ahmad discussed with Pole the problems being faced by the residents of Kashmir stranded at various places within the country and abroad.
He thanked the administration for taking up the issue with the highest authorities and arranging direct flights for students from Bangladesh and also special buses and trains for residents from various places in the country.
“Sheikh Ashiq stated that the number of registrations could be low due to the difficult and time consuming onward journey by road from Delhi to Srinagar. He stated that if the Government could consider direct flights on sectors like Dubai-Srinagar the volumes would definitely be sizeable,” the KCCI statement read.
The Divisional Commissioner, as per the statement, asked Chamber to do a preliminary exercise in this regard “and the Government would definitely extend all support for the early and safe return of all stranded residents, wherever they may be.”
Pole also informed the delegation that the administration was in regular touch with senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs. He stated that the residents desirous of coming back had to follow a detailed procedure devised for this purpose which started with their registration at the respective Embassy.
He informed the delegation that so far the number of such registrations was not enough to warrant special flights to Delhi.
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