With most of the districts coming under red and orange zone categories the decision to unlock the current phase of lockdown is likely to throw up several challenges for the government in bringing down the intensity of the spread of the pandemic. True it is that industry and trade in Jammu & Kashmir was not as adversely hit by the ongoing second wave of covid -19 pandemic as it was hit by the first wave last year due to countrywide strickest lockdown but yet again the business and trade are vulnerable to the situation that has arisen after the imposition of another covid-19 lockdown this year and such demand of trading bodies for a consultation before a decision on unlocking the lockdown deserves an encouraging response from the government. Special vaccination drives launched for the trading and business communities in both Kashmir valley and as well as Jammu region would by all standards of understandabilities facilitate the unlocking of business and trading activities across Jammu & Kashmir. Since the purchasing capacity of the people has resulted in an unprecedented decline in the consumption and demands even goods of basic human needs, vaccination for all sections of society will have to be fast paced before any decision on the unlocking of the business and trading actives so that the process of unlocking becomes a success and the arrival of a possible third wave of pandemic is also blocked successfully. Such a two pronged strategy is also required to reduce the deeper sense of anxiety triggered by a very strong intensity of the ongoing second wave of the covid-19 pandemic. While the frequency of the vaccination drive has to be doubled to ensure unlocking of business and trading activities at a reduced level across Jammu & Kashmir, the government has already started measures for stabilising the purchasing capacity of the low paid government employees like Asha workera by increasing their honorariums amid the continuing second wave of the covid-19 pandemic but such concessions should also reach those daily rated workers of the government department who never ever get their monthly wages in time.
Decision of unlocking the lockdown in gradual phases if announced with incentives to trading and business communities and as well as the low paid employees of the government amid a non stop vaccination drive for people of all sections of the society would most probably reduce the intensity of the anxiety that has panicked the hapless population of Jammu & Kashmir. Protecting livelihood of the people for the purposes of securing their household needs and basic health facilities should be the top priorities of the government and this is what Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has himself promised in one of his recent statement just two days ago.
What deserves the immediate attention of the government is the demand for interest subvention scheme for Small Scale Industries similar to the one implemented last year with an additional incentive of general amnesty for all the assistance given to small scale industries under the said interest subvention scheme last year. So decision of unlocking the lockdown in gradual phases if announced with incentives to trading and business communities and as well as the low paid employees of the government amid a non stop vaccination drive for people of all sections of the society would most probably reduce the intensity of the anxiety that has panicked the hapless population of Jammu & Kashmir. Protecting livelihood of the people for the purposes of securing their household needs and basic health facilities should be the top priorities of the government and this is what Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has himself promised in one of his recent statement just two days ago.
