Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 7: Street vendors from city’s Batamalloo area protested today against Srinagar Municipal Corporation for failing to develop a proper rehabilitation plan for them.
Scores of street vendors gathered outside old bus stand in Batamallo, raising slogans in support of their demands. The vendors claimed that Srinagar Municipal Committee recently asked them to relocate from roadside to the Batmallo bus stop, but they were denied permission by Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) to do so.
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According to Naseer Sofi, President of Batamallo All Street Vendors Association, “Despite SMC asking us to move, the SDA refused to allow us to set up our carts at the bus stand.”
He said that they are willing to relocate to any location, but authorities should give them time until Eid. “We are ready for rehabilitation,” he said, “but we should be given time until then because we have purchased materials from dealers and borrowed money from various institutions to run our business.”
The vendors claimed that they have been suffering due to clockdown for two years and are struggling to keep their homes running. “Our children are being expelled from schools because we cannot afford to pay their fees,” they said. “We are already struggling for three meals a day, and shifting us at this time will exacerbate our predicament,” they explained.
If their demands are not met, the protestors have threatened to escalate their protests. “We will continue to protest until our demands are met,” they said.
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