KUD: Nashri Tunnel may bring relief to tens of thousands of people traveling on Srinagar-Jammu highway but a small township along the mountainous road is bitter as it fears loss of livelihood.
Kud township was thriving on its main produce, sweets. Range of them, including the most delicious, buttery, ghee-soaked patisa, were a must buy for travellers both local as well as tourists.
The Chenani-Nashri tunnel which will be thrown open for public transport on Aprl 2 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will by-pass three major highway passenger stops, Patnitop, Batote and Kud thus reducing distance between Chenani and Nashri from 41 km to 9.2 km.
However, the Kud market dotted with sweets shops will suffer in a big way, traders said.
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President Kud Traders Association, R K Sharma told Kashmir Observer that the J&K government had promised them a suitable compensation and even rehabilitation. However, till date nothing has been done, he added.
All traffic will be diverted through the tunnel running beneath us, he said, Sharma said. He hastened to add that the traders were not against the development of the state, however, our business will die with diversion of the traffic.
Earlier during the trial run when entire traffic was diverted through the tunnel for few days, our road wore a deserted look and children were seen playing cricket on it all the day, he said.
Sharma, who owns popular Prem Di Hatti”, said majority of his customers were from, Kashmir valley and he would pay upto Rs 25 lakh as income tax annually.
According to Sharma, Kud market has more than 150 salespersons working in different shops and shopkeepers have already laid off the bulk of their staff.
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