As Kashmir was yet to recover from the shock floods of 2014 the local economy suffered another big blow when an entire year of 2016 was consumed by the mass unrest which left 130 people dead, thousands injured with some families loosing their lone bread earners. For first 3 months Kashmir valley remained completely shut with hardly any shop opening its shutters.
The effects of 2016 can be still felt. I myself live in Gulmarg, a very famous tourist place and I hardly see a tourist bus arriving here these days. Most of the traders associated with tourism have changed their businesses.
Amid all this our Govt. took a decision of shifting the Batmaloo Bus Stand to Parimpora apparently to rid city of traffic mess. Different stake holders keep on proposing their different plans to overcome this menace. Firstly it was KMD Bus Stand which was shifted from Lal Chowk. Then bus stand at Jehangir Chowk and now it is the turn of General Bus Stand Batmaloo.
Idea apparently is fine as the shifting will reduce movement of busses and give the city much needed breather. I think it is a very good and logical decision. But flipside of the decision is that a lot of people will be affected adversly by this decision. These include about 1000 shopkeepers, 3190 bus owners, besides hundreds of students and employees and even patients visiting Srinagar.
Instead of shifting bus stand to Parimpora Govt. should take measures to vacate the Tattoo Ground garrison for which army has already received the compensation. I myself have stayed in a camp during 2014 floods in Tattoo Ground for ten days. It covers a very large area of about 1112 kanals of precious land.
In November 2015 the then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed laid the foundation stone of a citizens park, to be built on 17 acres of land handed over to the state government by the Army from its Tattoo ground camp.
The park will provide an avenue of outing for the residents of the city living in its vicinity as other popular destinations like Mughal Gardens are located far off, Sayeed said while addressing a gathering at the foundation stone laying ceremony.
PDP president Mehbooba Mufti and senior Army officials were also present at the programme
If late Mufti sahib has already laid the foundation stone for the park there then why current PDP led government is delaying the project.
I suggest instead of turning land for recreational park Batmaloo bus stand should be shifted here.
Since I know it is a Sub Judice matter my request to Honourable Court and Govt. is to please look at following points:-
Ø First it looks to be one sided decision.
Ø It is not technically feasible:- as we will need approximately 10 Sumos to carry the passengers of one bus from Parimpora Mandi to Lal Chowk. This will increase traffic rather than reducing it as small vehicles will create more jams by getting into small spaces.
Ø Proposed site not sufficient for next 50-60 years:- Day by day number of buses will increase and we are already short of space, which means it is not sufficient for next 50-60 years.
Ø As in Kashmir more people are switching over from agriculture to horticulture we will soon need to expand Fruit Mandi. If bus stand gets shifted nearby, the mandi which is already short of space where will we shift the Fruit Mandi then.
Apart from it, it is related to the 1000 shopkeepers or vendors, 3190 buses ( drivers ,conductors, owners and their union which means approx. 10,000 families) , students and other employees.
So my request to Honorable Court is to rethink on decision and take into account views of all stakeholders.
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