Traders, citizens aghast, say historic place craves for Govt attention
Once a prime attraction for the visitors, summer capital, Srinagar’s Kashmir Haat is in ruins, courtesy official apathy.
The Government’s failure and negligence to reconstruct the Kashmir Haat building after 2014 floods has thrown the place and its adjoining areas to the advantage of drug peddlers, gamblers.
Located near City’s Jahangir Chowk, the building has virtually become a safe place for drug addicts, gamblers and smokers, according to witnesses.
President of Kashmir Haat shopkeepers, Nisar Ahmad told Kashmir Post that the condition of the place is worst and degrading by each passing day and government is paying no heed towards this building despite situated at a prime location.
“This place has become the home of drug addicts, gamblers and other mischievous people.” Nisar said, adding “we went to police in this regard to check into this matter but all in vain.”
He said that the concerned authorities have abandoned this place.
“The business has come to standstill. Businessmen suffer loss as there is no one to look after this place despite requesting to the director Handicrafts Kashmir many times both orally and written,” he said.
A shopkeeper, Khursheed Ahmad said that they have sent a representation of the market to the tourism minister and they are hopeful that tourism department will solve their problem as director of Handicrafts was unavailable whenever they approached him.
“The shops of handicrafts department are defanged and people use this place as a toilet point while as other shops gets affected because of this problem,” said Khursheed.
Khursheed further said that handicrafts department has said till the work of flyover of that area doesn’t get completed, they cannot do anything to reconstruct or renovate Kashmir Haat.
“One of the banks approached to our Kashmir Haat association for the revival of this traditional important market place as the state should have tourism market but again handicrafts department denied to accept their proposal and building remained as it is.”
Manager Handicrafts Kashmir, Bashir Ahmad told Kashmir Post, that the handicrafts departments have already sent many letters to Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) but there was no response from them.
“In last month we had a meeting with divisional commissioner Kashmir in which we discussed regarding the condition of the building and other things related to Kashmir Haat,” Bashir said, adding the matter would be solved as soon as possible.
116 mini-buses booked, 8 mini-buses seized for overloading
Srinagar: Traffic Police City Srinagar has launched a special drive against overloading in minibuses and has booked 116 mini-bus operators for overloading and served them with court challans & seized 08 mini-buses for same offence during a week’s time from 14th to 21st Feb-2018.
During the drive, they said Traffic Police City Srinagar has also seized 86 bikes/scooties & 263 vehicles in various traffic related offences across the Srinagar City.
Traffic Police City Srinagar is committed to make Srinagar City congestion free. For any assistance or complaint you can reach us through our helpline numbers 0194-2455179 Traffic Police Office City Srinagar (Tel/Fax), 0194-2450022, 2485396 Traffic Police Control Room Sgr. (Tel), WhatsApp No. 8491852218, Toll Free No. 18001807091 and on Facebook @trafficpolicecitysrinagar.
