Srinagar, January 29, 2022 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmir Economic Forum (KEF) has said that the fresh 64-hour lockdown has affected the economic activity badly and urged the authorities to reconsider the decision and help revive Valley’s fledgling economy.

The KEF President Showkat M Choudhary in a statement in Srinagar said the valley’s business units have been badly suffering from the previous lockdowns and had hardly started to recover the losses. “It is not advisable to enforce a lockdown in the Valley. The lockdown decision has also sent alarm to the travellers as a result of which around 50 percent of the tourist influx has come down since the weekend lockdown was announced. This has impacted the livelihood of many people,” Showkat M Choudhary added.

“We will also provide all possible support to the authorities in ensuring implementation of Covid Appropriate Behaviours. Traders, shopkeepers and restaurant owners will also entertain vaccinated customers who are following proper SOPs,” he maintained.

He further said most of the population is already fully vaccinated and the authorities need to devise strategies for the “new normal” of life with COVID as suggested by many health experts and practiced by many developed countries like USA and UK instead of brining miseries to the people who are earning from hand to mouth. “Even the health experts and other senior doctors have said that lockdown will not serve a purpose. The lockdown has been imposed in the past also but the Covid has resurfaced again,” he said.

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