Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 19: Former Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, Kavinder Gupta today demanded the J&K administration led by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha to rehabilitate the shopkeepers of Nai Basti in Satwari area affected by widening of National Highway (NH), which is being done as a part of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway project.
Click here to watch video
“No doubt the aforesaid project is of national importance and the same cannot be stopped or shifted but at the same time, rehabilitation of the people earning their livelihoods in the places coming under the NH widening project since ages is also responsibility of the Government and therefore, the people at helm should make it sure that none among the affected lot loses his or her livelihood,” said Kavinder while addressing a press conference, here. He was accompanied by shopkeepers of Nai Basti area.
Kavinder said since last 60 years, these shopkeepers are earning their livelihood in the shops allotted by the Government for which many of them are even paying rent and now, the administration is asking them to vacate these shops by pasting notice on their shops overnight. These shopkeepers are being offered Rs 40,000 for these shops by the administration, he said and criticized this move of the administration.
He demanded the Government to rehabilitate these shopkeepers by providing them kiosks or land for making kiosks at any other place so that they can ear bread and butter for their families. “The Government should ensure that the livelihood of the Nai Basti shopkeepers should remain unaffected and no one suffers on account of widening of NH,” he added.
Earlier, the affected shopkeepers staged a demonstration along the Highway at Nai Basti and expressed strong resentment against the administration for serving them notice to vacant their shops overnight. The affected shopkeepers urged the LG Manoj Sinha to provide them alternate place for raising kiosks so that they may earn their livelihood and live peacefully.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
