JAMMU: Minister for Tribal Affairs, Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs and Transport, Javed Ahmed Rana, today visited Warehouse Nehru Market at Bikram Chowk, Jammu, to assess the damage caused by the devastating fire that engulfed several shops in the historic commercial hub late Sunday night.
During the visit, the Minister conducted an on-ground assessment of the affected establishments and interacted with shop owners, traders and representatives of the Warehouse Association to understand the extent of losses, hear their grievances and discuss measures for their timely redressal.
Expressing deep concern over the incident, Rana sympathised with the affected traders and their families, assuring them of the Government’s full support and all possible assistance. He stressed that the genuine concerns of those who have suffered losses must be addressed promptly and that no affected trader should be left without due consideration.
The Minister directed the concerned authorities to ensure close coordination among all departments for a comprehensive assessment of the losses and to facilitate necessary relief and rehabilitation measures.
Highlighting the commercial importance of Warehouse Nehru Market, Rana said that the market is one of Jammu’s prominent and historic wholesale trading centres, dealing in foodgrains, edible oils and other essential commodities. He observed that the fire has not only caused substantial property losses but has also severely affected the livelihoods of traders, employees and families dependent on the market.
The Minister further stressed the need to strengthen fire safety infrastructure, preparedness and emergency response mechanisms in densely populated commercial areas to prevent such incidents and minimise potential losses in the future.
Rana also said that all circumstances and factors leading to the outbreak and spread of the fire would be thoroughly investigated and called to identify measures to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
Reaffirming the Omar Abdullah led Government’s commitment to stand firmly with the affected business community, the Minister assured that every possible effort would be made to facilitate their early recovery and restoration of normal business activities.
