Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Nov 25: Dozens of shopkeepers today staged a sit-in protest at Jehangir Chowk here against the “forced evacuation” order by Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) in lieu of flyover construction and sought “proper rehabilitation”.
Reports said the shopkeepers, mostly who own shops in Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) building, alleged that the ERA, which is executing agency for Jehangir Chowk-Rambagh flyover, has ordered them to evacuate their shops within 48 hours.
The traders under the banner of Hari Singh High Street Traders Association blocked the road and demanded proper rehabilitation for them. They said that they are not against the construction of flyover but the ERA should first rehabilitate them in “proper way”.
Reports said the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) member Faiz Bakshi also attended the protest and asked ERA to rehabilitate the shopkeepers. Terming the demand of shopkeepers as genuine he said: “They were issued a notice earlier asking them to meet the Collector at ERA at specific times, but whenever they used to go for meeting, the Collector was not available. “They want to meet the officials to talk about the issue but the officials are playing hide and seek with them,” he added.
The agitating traders said that the ERA, without mutual agreement, can’t issue evacuation notice. “This is gross injustice and we will not accept this. We warn ERA officials to desist from going ahead with their plan,” they said and sought the intervention of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
Meanwhile, a senior official of ERA told Excelsior that they have followed the “land acquisition process in letter and spirit” and allotted shopkeepers shops in rehabilitation complex at Jehangir Chowk. He confirmed that a notice directing shopkeepers to evacuate within 48 hours has been issued.
“After we allotted them shops, they went to court and the court ordered us to follow the land acquisition process. We followed the process but these shopkeepers are not ready to get rehabilitated. They don’t want to shift somewhere else which is not possible,” he said.
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