Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Sept 2 The Chief Executive Officer of Srinagar Smart City and Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Athar Amir today said that the entire road stretch from Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) to Residency Road, including the Lal Chowk area, in Srinagar is being redeveloped under the Smart City project.
Athar said this after the decision to demolish a concrete park at Ganta Ghar Lal Chowk drew criticism from the people, who alleged that the administration has wasted taxpayer money by doing so after investing huge amounts for its development a few years ago.
“I would not describe it as demolishing the park; rather, it is a redevelopment project for Residency Road as part of the Smart City project. A good sidewalk and a uniform carriageway are being constructed. Underground cables for communication and electricity will be installed. Redesigning the on-street parking will also be done,” he said.
He added that the park was causing a lot of problems because it had clogged the drainage and was also not built properly, which is why the local traders there also demanded that it be removed.
People voiced their discontent with the action and questioned the administration’s choice to demolish the park, on which a sizable sum of money was spent. They demanded accountability in the use of taxpayers’ money.
“This is a totally wrong decision. They invested a considerable sum of money in its construction, and they are currently destroying it. They ought to stop and consider before wasting public money,” a local said.
Some of the shopkeepers, however, were happy with the decision as they claim that the park has severely affected their business since it was constructed. “We must acknowledge that creating the park was a mistake right away. This park has blocked the view of shops and affected our business. What their plans are is a mystery to us. With this park, we were utterly disturbed,” Bilal Ahmad, a shopkeeper, said.
He, however, added that the government should consider the local business community when making beautification plans. “The government needs to develop measures to restore this location’s former splendour because it was formerly thought of as Kashmir’s commercial centre. They should keep businessmen in mind,” he said.
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