Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal urging Amarnath pilgrims to spend at least 10 per cent of their travel budget on locally made products, saying the initiative could significantly benefit Kashmir’s economy if devotees are allowed to freely visit local markets.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah described the Prime Minister’s appeal as a positive step but stressed that pilgrims should be allowed to leave their buses and interact with local businesses to make the initiative meaningful.
He said that restricting pilgrims from moving around limits their ability to shop and support the local economy. According to Abdullah, giving devotees the freedom to explore markets would benefit shopkeepers, artisans, pony operators, porters and several small businesses that rely on the annual Amarnath Yatra for their livelihoods.
Prime Minister Modi had earlier urged pilgrims to embrace the “Vocal for Local” initiative by spending at least 10 per cent of their travel expenses on local products, saying the move would help improve the livelihoods of families and young entrepreneurs across Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah also welcomed the Centre’s decision to cancel the proposed Monday-Tuesday closure of Srinagar Airport, calling it a major relief for the tourism sector. He said the planned shutdown had already led to cancellations by several tour groups and negatively affected tourism.
The Chief Minister said he had raised the matter with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, following which the airport closure plan was withdrawn.
He further appreciated the decision to remove Punjab’s mandi tax on horticultural produce from Jammu and Kashmir, describing the earlier levy as unfair and a burden on the region’s growers.
