Jammu, Nov 9 (KNS): National Conference Additional General Secretary and former minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra on Monday demanded a high-level, time-bound inquiry into the devastating fire at Warehouse-Nehru Market in Jammu, seeking accountability for the incident and adequate compensation for affected traders.

During a visit to the fire-ravaged market, Sadhotra interacted with President of the Traders Federation Warehouse-Nehru Market, Deepak Gupta, and other representatives. He expressed concern over the scale of destruction, which has reportedly caused losses worth hundreds of crores of rupees and affected the livelihoods of several families.

He called for an inquiry to establish the exact cause of the fire and fix responsibility wherever negligence is found.

Sadhotra also raised concerns over the alleged delay in the arrival of fire services personnel at the site, saying the inquiry should specifically examine the reasons behind it and whether timely intervention could have reduced the damage.

He questioned how the fire could cause such extensive destruction despite the Fire and Emergency Services Department reportedly being on alert during Diwali.

The NC leader said he would take up the matter with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to seek government intervention.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

He also informed the traders that he had spoken to the Chief of Fire and Emergency Services, who told him that 27 fire tenders had been deployed to tackle the blaze.

Sadhotra urged the government to provide adequate and fair compensation to all affected traders and other victims, besides initiating immediate relief and rehabilitation measures.

He said the incident should not be treated as a routine tragedy and called for greater accountability and transparency in the functioning of fire and emergency services.

He also sought stronger fire safety arrangements across Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in Jammu, and called for periodic audits of fire and emergency services involving public representatives and members of the public.

Describing Warehouse as a vital supply centre for Jammu and Kashmir, Sadhotra said the market played an important role in meeting the region's supply requirements.

NC Provincial Secretary Mohd Ayoub Malik, Rajesh Bakshi, Veer Ji Bhat, Ashwani Charak, Parwinder Singh, Shabir and Asanand accompanied him during the visit. (KNS)