Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, June 3: Shoppers rushed to the markets and bazaars across Kashmir for last-minute shopping ahead of Eid-ul- Fitr that falls on Wednesday and marks the end of holy fasting month of Ramadan.
A visit to different shopping centers across Kashmir revealed that consumers were crowding the shops to buy clothes, shoes and other articles. Shops selling eatables including mutton, chicken and bakery witnessed a heavy rush, prompting many shops owners to engage more salesmen.
A huge rush of people, especially women and children, was witnessed in the summer capital, leaving the roads crowded. The shoppers began trickling in early in the morning and the numbers swelled as the day progressed. Thousand of shoppers thronged the city center by afternoon, resulting in heavy traffic snarls and chaos on the roads.
Wrong parking along the roadsides and the presence of vendors added to the chaos and caught police on a wrong foot. The traffic police, as usual, had no plan in place to streamline the vehicular movement. As a result, traffic moved at sluggish pace throughout the day. The worst traffic jam was witnessed along Jahangir Chowk, Amira Kadal, Residency Road and Maharaja Bazaar as people were busy in shopping.
A similar surge of buyers was also seen in all the major towns of the Valley. Pavements, as always were taken over by makeshift stalls erected by vendors. Some shops have been illuminated to attract shoppers.
Among the festivities, people allege authorities for turning a blind eye on the black marketing and price hikes. They said mutton is being sold in the city and other places at between Rs 500 to Rs 550 per Kg while officially announced rate is Rs 450 per Kg.
Authorities have declared that the prices would be revised after the festival which people said was a move to hide their failure. The other things were also being sold at exaggerated rates.
“No one is putting a check on the prices. The authorities are deliberately turning a blind eye to the violations,” a shopper said, adding that the market checking squads were not visible on the ground.
Lali Jan, a shopper from Budgam, said that the prices were very high which dampens the happiness of the people, particularly poor, ahead of the festival. “It seems no one is thinking about the poor. Someone should make the shopkeepers accountable. They are making a huge profit by selling things at exaggerated prices, “she said.
Residents also blamed the Traffic Department for the absence of its men at many places. “People have parked their vehicles at wrong places, choking the roads. Traffic police are not doing their job. They are not seen at many key locations making the situation worse. Keeping in view the festival they should have been more proactive,” Javeed Ahmad, a local said, adding that the Srinagar Municipal Corporation failure to keep a proper check on vendors has added to the traffic mess.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
