Union Minister Jitendra Singh Reviews Fire Tragedy in Jammu Market

Union Minister Jitendra Singh inspects a major warehouse fire in Jammu, criticizing the delayed response of fire services and urging the government to provide compensation to the affected traders who lost shops during the Diwali festival.

Union Minister Reviews Fire Incident in Jammu

Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday flagged concerns over the response of the Fire and Emergency Services department to a massive fire at a warehouse in Nehru Market, Jammu, which gutted several shops, and called for special consideration to compensate the affected traders. During his visit to the fire-affected warehouse, Singh described the incident as tragic and expressed relief that no lives were lost. He said the administration remained at the spot throughout the night but acknowledged complaints regarding the response of the fire services.

"There is no doubt that this has been a major and tragic incident. It took place on the day of Diwali. We can only thank the Almighty that there was no loss of human life. As far as these shops are concerned, the administration did its part. The administration reached the spot during the night and remained there until 6:00 a.m. However, we have received feedback and complaints that the response from the fire services was not as prompt as it should have been. I believe that, going forward, whenever there is a festive season, an SOP should be in place identifying sensitive locations where fire services should remain on standby so that they can respond immediately in the event of any such incident or accident, particularly when there is a possibility of fireworks and firecrackers," he said.

Government Stance and Future Measures

"The responsibility of the fire services department is not limited to extinguishing fires after they break out. It is also responsible for preventing fires and taking preventive measures. Regarding the financial losses, commercial properties are not covered under the SDRF rules. Therefore, we will request the state government to take special cognisance of the matter and explore the possibility of compensating the traders here for the financial losses they have suffered under special consideration. Appropriate alternatives should be explored," he added.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Minister Javed Ahmed Rana said the government stood with those affected by the incident and that the administration had been directed to assess the damage. "This is a matter of concern for civil society, and a major loss has occurred here as the entire market has been gutted. The government stands with the people affected by this major incident. The local administration has been directed to conduct a proper assessment of the damage, and it is carrying out the assessment. The government will extend whatever assistance is possible," Rana said.

Allegations of Negligence by Traders

Meanwhile, Deepak Gupta, President of the Traders Federation Warehouse Nehru Market, alleged negligence by the Fire and Emergency Services department and said traders had called for a shutdown in protest. "Today, the entire market, from Asia Chowk to Vikram Chowk, is shut down. Traders have called for a shutdown over the Fire Brigade's negligence. The authorities took no notice of the situation at Shiv Market, where 29 shops and the livelihoods of 290 families have been destroyed. Even when the incident took place, the Fire and Emergency Services officials were asleep... Had ADC madam and the DC not reached the spot, perhaps 570 shops would have been gutted today. I want to point out that the fire, which spread to eight shops, could have been confined to just one shop if the Fire and Emergency Services had arrived on time."

Jammu and Kashmir BJP President Sat Sharma also described the incident as tragic and said party leaders had remained at the site throughout the night. He assured that the party would make efforts to address the needs of those affected. "This is a very tragic incident...our party leaders remained there throughout the night...it is particularly tragic that such an incident occurred while people were in the midst of celebrating a joyous festival...we believe it is essential to stand by the people during such difficult times, and we will make every effort to fulfill whatever requirements may arise moving forward," Sharma said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)