Srinagar, Oct 23 (KNO): Kashmir Trade Alliance Friday said they were facing discrimination and harassment at the hands of the State Tax Department.
In a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), President Kashmir Trade Alliance Aijaz Shahdhar said they were receiving complaints from several traders that they were being harassed.
“We are anguished over the harassment of traders by autocratic officials of the State Tax Department at Lower Munda Check Post and officials of the vigilance wing of the said department at Nowgam on the national highway. The KTA has got frequent complaints from traders regarding the harassment by the officials at these posts,” said KTA president.
Giving details of the harassment, Shahdhar said: “The officials of the vigilance wing are seizing the loaded trucks of traders at Nowgam bypass and then conduct physical verification of the State Tax Department Solina which has caused lot of anxiety among traders.”
He said only the traders of Kashmir valley were facing this discrimination.
“These officials have no sympathy with the traders of the Valley even as they are aware of the economic problems we have been facing for over a year now. We are being forced to pay undue penalties and this sort of discrimination does not exist in other states. This is the pinnacle of discrimination,” said Shahdhar—(KNO)