Avtar Bhat
Constructed way back in 1960 by then Prime Minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed, Jammu Ware House the hub of whole sale market in the State has presently turned into a ghetto with authorities at helm of affairs taking no pains to improve its condition.
With increasing pressure on Kanak Mandi which was till then the main whole sale market of the State and lack of space there, the then Government led by Mr Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed on the persistent demand of trading community decided to shift the Ware House across Tawi bridge by allotting land and constructing shopping complex there 53 years back. But with the considerable increase in the population of the State as well as the supply and demand, the successive Governments failed to expand the present Ware House or shift it to any alternative place to cater to the increasing needs of the trading community of the State as Jammu Ware House caters to the needs of the people of all three regions of J&K.
Spread over about 100 kanals of land presently, the stinking Ware House Jammu is totally in shambles as its position is not better than that of a slum area of a metropolitan city of the country with goods lying scattered in big heaps all along emitting foul smell especially during the rainy season. Despite repeated pleas to the concerned authorities by the Traders Federation Ware House no steps have been taken till date to solve the problem. Even the proposal mooted to shift the Ware House to Birpur area in Samba district where the land for this purpose was also identified seems to have been shelved for unknown reasons which indicates that chances of shifting the wholesale market of Jammu to an alternative place are bleak in the near future. This has generated a lot of resentment among the trading community of the State in general as well as those of Ware House in particular who face many difficulties in conducting smooth trading due to curbs imposed by the Government on movement of trucks in the Ware House during the peak hours coupled with increasing power cuts etc.
Despite the assurances given by the authorities including the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah to shift the Ware House no headway has been made in this regard till date alleged Sham Lal Gupta, vice president of Traders Federation Ware House. Terming the all assurances given by the Government totally hollow regarding shifting of the whole sale market of the State, he said there is no land available with Government to shift the Ware House and authorities till date have failed to identify the area in this regard.
Gupta said that 80 kanals of land were identified at Raya Suchani which is not sufficient for the Ware House and now the Government has mooted another proposal to purchase the land at Thandi Khoi in Samba district but no headway has been made in this regard till date.
With lack of space to keep their goods in the shops the wholesale traders are forced to keep them in heaps outside their business establishments the in open and this way a portion of goods perishes due to rains there by putting traders to heavy loss as there is no scientific mechanism with traders of preserving the goods.
The situation takes a critical turn in rainy seasons like Monsoon and Winter when the goods kept outside the market remain soaked in rain water for days together.
The traders demand for granting permission for construction of second stories and godowns has also not been conceded by the authorities with the result there is no end to the woes of the wholesale trading community of Ware House, said Aryan Ramesh another whole sale trader.
He said during 1960 when Ware House was constructed the population of Jammu was 80,000 which has now touched near 20 lakh during last 53 years and there is dire need of shifting it to the alternative place keeping in view the population influx of Jammu.
On the one hand the Government has failed to shift the Ware House and on the other hand it has imposed curbs on the movement of trucks during the peak hours hitting the business to a great extent, said Sham Lal Gupta, adding 300 whole sale traders of Ware House, KC Market, Nehru market and adjoining private market have been hit worst by this step.
He said to meet this problem now traders are directly supplying the material through mills in trucks but how far this practice will continue.
He said even the demand of the traders to grant permission for construction of double stories till shifting of the Ware House has not been conceded.
Suggesting constructing of a new Ware House on scientific principles keeping provision for its expansion up to 100 years in advance, he said the Government should frame a comprehensive policy in this regard as the new Ware House should be constructed on modern pattern having all facilities.
He also suggested shifting of transport yard from Ware House and allotting the land to the wholesale traders till the shifting of the whole sale market. This could also ease the problem of traders to some extent, he added.
In addition to it the authorities are paying no attention in sanitation of Ware House and there is no proper drainage system in the entire area resulting into insanitation of the area during rains season as cesspools of water are seen every where adding further to the health hazards there, said Aryan Ramesh.
Despite being an income generating source for Government as the Ware House traders pay Rs 1000 crore Sales Tax and near Rs 200 crore Income Tax to State annually, but they are totally a neglected lot for reasons best known to authorities said Ram Langer another trader.
He said the Government is not paying any attention to look into the basic problems of the traders of Ware House which included power cuts, lack of medicare facilities, haltage place for labour etc.
He said despite the installation of electronic meters the Ware House continues to face routine power cuts which is affecting the business as the computers and other machines working on power don’t run during this time. Moreover traders face problems due to the power cuts during late evening hours when they have to close the cash, he added.
Besides there is neither any Sarai in entire Ware House, for staying of labour class nor medicare facilities for them which is worrisome.
However JDA is facing hurdles in identification of land for the Ware House and the organization till date has not been able to find an alternative place to shift the Ware House from its preset place.
Admitting this, the Vice Chairman, JDA, Kuldeep Khajuria told Excelsior that the Agency till date could not identify an alternative to shift the Ware House but they are on the job. He however maintained that the JDA till shifting of the Ware House to an alternative place has taken steps to improve facilities in present Ware House.
He said in this connection a Committee of senior officers of JDA has been constituted and it will submit report within four to five days for improving facilities in the Ware House as demanded by the traders. Every possible step will be taken to solve the problem especially created due to space crunch, sanitation, electricity etc he added.
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