Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Thursday visited the Lal Chowk market here and urged the shopkeepers to promote indigenous local products, calling it vital for boosting Jammu & Kashmir’s economy and empowering small businesses.
Highlighting the Centre’s recent steps to ease the business environment, Dr Singh pointed to the Modi government’s major decision on revising Goods and Services Tax (GST) rates.
“We all know that Prime Minister Modi has taken a significant decision to revise GST rates. Some items are now at zero per cent tax. This is being celebrated across the country,” Dr Singh, as per the news agency, said while speaking to the reporters.
He said the positive impact of the GST decision was visible even in the valley. “It is encouraging to see the same celebratory mood here in Kashmir. We are standing in Lal Chowk, one of the most prominent market areas and everywhere we went, people thanked Prime Minister Modi and said they felt a huge sense of relief,” he said.
The Union Minister said that since tourists from across India and abroad visit this place, the message that goes out from here resonates nationwide.
He highlighted PM Modi’s long-standing focus on Jammu and Kashmir, recalling his visit during the devastating 2014 floods. “Those who remember know that just months after taking the oath as Prime Minister in 2014, a massive flood hit Srinagar and submerged this very market. That year, instead of celebrating Diwali at home, Prime Minister Modi spent it here with the flood-affected people, which reflects the special priority he accords to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Dr Jitendra said that promoting locally-made products ties directly into the government’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and will help artisans, traders and small entrepreneurs grow
