Traders' shutdown affects life in Jammu

Life in Jammu city was affected on Friday due to a shutdown called by local traders organisations with the support of some political parties, accusing the state government of discriminating against the Jammu region.

Shops, public transport and other businesses remained closed in the city although private transport, government offices, banks and post offices functioned normally.

Some skeletal public transport also moved on the city roads where trade union activists tried to stop vehicles to enforce the shutdown.

Police resorted to a mild baton charge at Dogra Chowk in the city where some Congress workers joined the protest.

The Congress, the regional National Conference and the national Panthers Party have supported the shutdown call.

The local traders are demanding setting up of a separate AIIMS in the Jammu region as it has been already announced for the Kashmir Valley.

The traders are also demanding that pilgrims to the Mata Vaishnoo Devi Shrine in Katra district of the Jammu region should be exempted from toll tax that is presently collected from them.

Each year over four million pilgrims from different parts of the country visit the shrine.