SRINAGAR Three bunkers set up by the state forceforces removed on Tuesday near the city centre Lal Chowk in Srinagar after 30 long years. The bunkers were built in 1988 to maintain vigil following the outbreak of s militancy in the Kashmir Valley.
The bunkers were located near Hanuman Mandir on Hari Singh High Street close to Lal Chowk. Municipal authorities said the bunkers had choked space in the commercial hub of Srinagar.”We plan to lay a park at the site now,” an official said. The SMC acted after local Dastageer Sahab (RA) Shrine Auqaf Committee said that the place occupied by the troopers was their property. These bunkers had been erected at the end of Amira Kadal bridge when militancy was at its peak. During the tenure of former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, many sand bunkers were removed from public places in Srinagar.
We had urged upon SMC to remove these three bunkers long ago but the new Mayor acted upon our plea and got the job done, said a member of Dastageer Sahab (RA) Shrine Auqaf Committee.
After the bunkers were removed Mayor, Junaid Azim Matoo, tweeted, All three bunkers at the end of Amira Kadal Bridge (towards HSH Street) have been demolished and the land cleared. Will be developed as a park by SMC now and maintained in coordination with the local Dastageer Sahab (RA) Shrine Auqaf Committee. Well done!.
His tweet was liked and re-tweeted by Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Gani Lone with comment super.
According to locals one of the bunkers was presently occupied by the Central Reserve Police Force.
They added earlier police was deployed there and later the bunkers were replaced by CRPF and later were taken over by the BSF. After the BSF was withdrawn from Kashmir, CRPF again occupied the bunker.
The bunker was frequently being attacked when militancy was at its peak, said locals.
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