3 days ago
Shiv Shakti market fire: Calling Rs 45 lakh insufficient, traders return donation
The textile traders of Shiv Shakti Textile Market Association (SSTMA) on Saturday refused to accept the donation of Rs 45 lakh, calling it insufficient to help the shop owners who suffered heavy losses during a major fire incident on February 26.
The traders also asked the Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) to return the fund to donors.
FOSTTA president Kailash Hakim met with SSTMA members and representatives of Shiv Shakti Textile Market Relief fund committee (SSTMRFC) Friday evening.
The SSTMA thanked the FOSTTA directors and president for their support, however, returned the collected amount.
Speaking to The Indian Express, FOSTTA president Kailash Hakim said, 'A major fire broke out at Shiv Shakti Textile market, which has 855 shops, on February 26. After 70 hours the fire was brought under control by the fire fighting teams of SMC. On February 28, we formed SSTMRFC with 11 members and a bank account was opened in a private bank. We appealed to the textile industry and the general public to donate funds to help the traders. Till date, we have received 45 lakh amount from 175 donors.'
'While returning the amount, we were told that Rs 45 lakh was insufficient. There are over 855 textile trading shops in SSTM and around. If the funds are equally distributed among each shop, owners will get around Rs 5,000 each. We will return the donation amount to the donors thanking them,' he added.
Sources in FOSTTA said that among 175 donors there are donors who had given a donation of Re 1 and a few more, who had given a donation of Rs 100. FOSTTA directors had donated Rs 11 lakhs, Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry had donated Rs 11 lakhs and Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil had donated Rs 11 lakhs.
The SSTMA president Sunil Kothari said, 'The structure of our market is still dangerous and the textile traders are not allowed to enter the market. All the shops and businesses have been shut since the fire incident. The power supply in the market has been disconnected. Out of 855 shops, 555 shops have been totally damaged due to fire. We appreciate and are thankful to the donors and also the FOSTTA people. The fire incident has resulted in loss of hundreds of crores to the traders.'
