Won't survive this disaster: Kashmiri entrepreneurs share lockdown pains

International News

Haji Mohammed Ghani, 74, squatted at the border of his apple orchard, sporting a neatly trimmed, white beard, and a frown. Around him were trees laden with apples ripe for picking.
At this time of year, his orchard--in a state that produces two-thirds of India's apples, earning Rs 6,500 crore ($903 million) in exports in 2016-17, contributing to a 10th of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employing 3.3 million workers--should have been buzzing with pickers and packers readying the fruits for shipment across India.
On September 8, 2019, when we visited his orchard, there was no activity.
Ghani owns five acres of land in an area famous for apple orchards, a village called Choora near the town of Sopore in Baramulla district, 55 km northwest of Srinagar. The trees yield 5,000 boxes of fruit every year, fetching Ghani a profit of Rs 5 lakh.
This year, he will settle for whatever he gets.
Since August 5, 2019, when the Centre snapped all communication lines in Kashmir--as it abrogated Section 370, which gave Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) special constitutional status--Ghani has not been able to speak to traders in Delhi, Kolkata and Patna to negotiate prices. Several traders used to come to Kashmir to collect the fruit, but they cannot make the trip this year.Some of Ghani’s apples were being sold at the Sopore fruit market but after a September 7, 2019, attack on a trader family by unknown gunmen, even that is not an option.

 “We survived the hailstorm this year but we will not be able to survive this disaster,” Ghani told IndiaSpend. Now, Srinagar’s fruit hawkers stock his apples but they pay half the normal market price...Read More

India-Pak tensions: Vistara waives cancellation fee for Leh, 3 other cities

Companies News:

Vistara airlines stated that no cancellation fee would be charged if a ticket has been booked to or from Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar or Leh for travel up to March 31.

For those passengers who could not make it to the airport to fly "to or from" the aforementioned cities on Wednesday, the airline said it is waiving the no-show fees and providing full refund.

"For customers booked to or from Amritsar, Jammu, Srinagar or Leh for travel up to March 31, 2019, we are offering free cancellation with full refund," Vistara said in a Twitter post on Wednesday night.
"For those who want to cancel their bookings to or from these cities for travel up to March 31, please email your request along with PNR details and phone contact...We will strive to respond to all such requests within 4 hours, between the hours of 7am and 11pm," the airline said.

Vistara said it would be entertaining cancellation with full-refund requests only. "We will not be accepting any date change requests for these flights within the period specified."

Due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) earlier on Wednesday, saying flight operations at the airports in Srinagar, Jammu, Leh, Pathankot, Amritsar, Shimla, Kangra, Kullu Manali and Pithoragarh would remain shut from February 27-May 27.


 IndiGo tweeted that it would take zero-cancellation fee for all Indian soldiers who are on leave and have been asked to resume their duties.