Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 4: High Court in order to regulate and ease the traffic congestion in and around City Srinagar sought compliance report from the concerned authorities and directed the Director Information to appear before the court and explain why he has not complied with the court directions.
Hearing a Public Interest litigation regarding traffic mess in and around the City, court sought compliance of directions from various stake holders including SDA, SMC, Transport Department, Traffic Department as also from Public Works Department by next date of hearing.
Court directed the authorities to expedite the process of shifting of General Bus Stand Batmaloo to the identified site and file status report in this behalf before the court on next date of hearing.
Court has been informed that land for additional parking lots and spaces for parking of private cars and two wheelers particularly in the commercial areas situated at M A Road has been handed over to ERA for construction of Semi-Automatic parking which will cater to parking of 288 vehicles.
It is also pleaded that besides, this 12 kanals of land adjacent to the KMDA land is being taken over from Government Press. The land will also be developed for parking of the vehicles. The details of parking lots provided by SDA in the Srinagar City have also been highlighted in the compliance report. “The work for construction of parking lots shall be expedited. Status report in this behalf be filed before the next date”, directed the Division Bench of Justice MH Attar and Justice JR Kotwal.
“Officer Commanding (OC) C/o 53 RCC Vivek Gupta who is present in person before the bench submitted that 7 kilometers stretch of road from Parimpora to Shalteng will be completed in all respect by ending May this year and vehicular traffic will ply on it thereafter”, court said.
“The Authority is required to complete the work by 31st May, 2016. The fortnightly periodical report about the progress of work be submitted before the Registrar Judicial which shall become part of this PIL. The Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir shall extend complete cooperation to the authorities for completion of the project”, reads the order.
Apart from this, the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has filed the compliance report in terms of previous direction. It is stated in compliance report that possession of land measuring 86 kanals- 2267 Sft has been handed over to the authority.
Traffic Police had submitted its various suggestions before the court for regulating the traffic in the city and managing the traffic congestion, which the court had taken on record on previous date of hearing and made it clear that these suggestion be treated and implemented as court directions.
“The Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) as also the Chief Engineer R&B (PWD) to implement the points which have been made part of the direction dated December 15, 2015” court said and directed both these authorities to file compliance in this regard on next date. Court also directed the authorities of the Traffic Department to forcefully implement the court orders and sought fresh compliance report from IGP traffic before the next date.
Court has been requested by the authority that time be extended for providing necessary information.
It is also pleaded by the SMC that Lal Chowk is old commercial business hub of Srinagar City and shops, offices and markets have been constructed many decades ago and at that point of time, there was no concept of basement or still car parking. However, court has been informed that in the vicinity of Lal Chowk car parking facilities like SDA car parking Sheikh Bagh, Lala Rukh car parking, SMC car parking near transport Yard, SDA parking near Press Enclave, SDA parking near Chinar Complex Residency Road, Sports Council parking Polo View, SMC parking near Mughal Darbar as also SDA parking al Mughal Darbar are also available. “The authorities of Traffic Department to ensure that vehicles are parked in the available facilities”, court directed.
Court during the proceeding observed that direction contained in previous order has not been complied with, inasmuch as commercial structures which have been found without vehicle parking facilities have not been sealed on the ground that the staff of SMC who are busy in identifying the constructions which are without vehicle parking facilities.
Court in this regard directed the Chief Enforcement Officer of SMC to submitted the sealing report of those complexes who are lacking car parking facility with a period of two weeks and submit the it before the Registrar Judicial with two weeks period.
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