Srinagar: Kashmiri businessmen whose trade was devastated by the floods in September last year Friday said that Rs 800 crore kept for their rehabilitation by the government from the Prime Minister’s package “is not acceptable to us”.

Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said the traders hit by floods were already hopeless with the government after it dilly-dallied with the relief and rehabilitation.

“Now, this is no surprise to us. We knew the government cannot do anything for us,” President KCCI Mushtaq Wani told KNS.

Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu has said that Rs 800 crore assistance has been provided for relief to be paid to the flood-affected traders from the revised package announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Srinagar on November 7.

The traders said they have estimated a total loss of Rs 70,000 crore to their trade due to last year floods in the Valley.

Wani said that there is no hope from the government to bail out the traders fraternity since the much hyped and expected package from New Delhi was already announced in which no substantial measures for the fraternity were taken.

 “Now the cat is out of the bag. And the traders are completely disappointed,” he said.

Yasin Khan President Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Association told KNS that the government has completely failed the people affected by the floods.

“Traders suffered 100 per cent loss to their trade across the Valley. PDP befooled people only to come to power, and to be in power. What will each of the flood hit get when the total number of affected families is 15 lakhs,” Khan told KNS.

“Basically through this so called rehab package this corrupt government wants to fill coffers of their corrupt ministers and officers and this we will not tolerate,” Khan said.

Showkat Choudhray President Kashmir Economic Alliance told KNS that the amount of Rs 800 crore for flood hit traders “is a big ridicule to us”.

“The money is not acceptable to us,” Choudhray told KNS.

He said that the businessmen will meet to evolve consensus how to act after the announcement. (KNS)