Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 3: More than fifty shopkeepers at Rainawari area of Old City have been rendered shop less due to road widening project and they are running from pillar to post for last four years to get the allotments of new shops.
In a move to decongest in the city, Government had embarked on an ambitious road widening projects across the Valley but they have allegedly failed to rehabilitate and compensate the shopkeepers on time which is affecting their livelihood.
In year 2012, under Central Road Project (CRP), the Government removed shops along Dalgate-Hazratbal road to reduce several bottle necks hindering vehicular movement but the stagnation in the project has affected the livelihood of several shopkeepers at Rainawari.
“We are not asking for money. We have constructed this entire complex ourselves and Government has provided only land. However, now the Government destroyed our shops. We are hanging in the air of uncertainty and misery as they have snatched our only source of income. What will our children eat?” asked Jan Mohammed, the president of Rainwari Traders Federation.
Chief Engineer, Roads and Buildings (R&B) Sushil Razdan said they have set up a task force which verified the authenticity of the claims of shopkeepers and they have submitted a report. “The delay is because of disputes between different stakeholders like ownership title. We are expecting a high-level meeting in the next month where hopefully final decision on allotment will be taken,” he said.
Mohammad Yasin, an activist who is pursuing the case of shopkeepers, said in order to improve the road connectivity Jammu and Kashmir Government under Central Road Project granted a project worth Rs 90 crore which was later hiked to Rs 398 crors but the main bottlenecks are as they were.
Yasin said Khayam Chowk, Khanyar Chowk and Victory Crossing are the main hurdles to the traffic which have not been cleared so far.
Ghulam Gheelan, the Senior Engineer of Circular Road Project Srinagar, said, “We have a liability of almost Rs 20 crors. The Government has not yet released any funds for the project.” He said a high level meeting is scheduled to take place on second week of this month where the whole issue will be discussed.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel