Srinagar, Nov 12: A newly installed food cart near the Clock Tower at Srinagar City Centre was demolished by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) after shopkeepers protested against its installation, raising serious questions over the conflicting actions of government agencies and the manner in which the administration handled the matter.
The cart had been installed during the night near Ghanta Ghar. After receiving information about its installation, SMC officials, accompanied by police personnel, reached the spot and dismantled the structure.
The demolition followed protests by shopkeepers in the area, who objected to the placement of the food cart and threatened to call for a shutdown. Several shopkeepers reportedly kept their establishments closed until the structure was removed, turning the issue into a confrontation between traders and the authorities.
However, the most pressing question emerging from the episode is whether the food cart owner had been granted official permission in the first place and, if so, under whose authority was the structure demolished?
Speaking to the news agency Kashmir News Trust, the owner, Lateef Ahmad, claimed that he had obtained permission from Srinagar Smart City Limited through the proper e-tendering process and was supposed to pay a monthly rent of Rs 15,000.
Ahmad said he was unable to understand how an installation permitted through an official process could subsequently be demolished by government agency.
“First they gave me permission and now they have demolished it. I showed the authorities all the necessary documents and permission and even requested them not to damage the cart. I was not even allowed to shift it. I have suffered a loss of around Rs 20 lakh,” he said.
He further alleged that officials of Srinagar Smart City Limited who had granted him permission were also present when the cart was being demolished, making the entire episode even more difficult for him to comprehend.
The incident has exposed an apparent lack of coordination between government agencies. If the owner was granted permission through a formal tendering process, why was the installation subsequently allowed to proceed and then demolished? If the permission was not valid, why was it issued in the first place, and why was the owner not informed before such a substantial investment was made?
The SMC’s action following objections from shopkeepers also raises questions about whether a clear, consistent policy governs the installation of such commercial structures in the city’s most prominent public spaces.
“The authorities must clarify whether Srinagar Smart City Limited had issued a valid allotment, whether the installation complied with the approved terms and conditions, and on what legal or administrative grounds the SMC ordered its demolition,” said a trader.
“An entrepreneur who claims to have followed an official tendering process cannot simply be left to bear a loss of Rs 20 lakh without a transparent explanation from the agencies concerned,” he added.
The Clock Tower area is one of Srinagar’s most prominent commercial and public spaces. [KNT]
