Srinagar
Batmaloo Traders Combination Committee on Wednesday held a protest demonstration outside press colony, Srinagar.
Scores of the protestors assembled at press colony urging authorities to revoke the decision of shifting the General Bus stand from the area in the interest of thousands of commuters and people associated with trading activity in the area.
Batmaloo Traders Combination Committee, a forum of Batamaloo traders said that a large number of traders have established their business around this bus stand and shifting it to another place would bring the trading activity to a grinding halt.
Around 10,000 traders are directly or indirectly linked with Batamaloo markets and its surroundings. “Traders in other city centres also depend on the Batamaloo bus stand to keep their trade running,” said a protestor.
Qazi Imtiyaz, head of the committee said that authorities have not left an option for them as the shifting of bus stand has adversely affected the livelihood of thousands of workers and labourers associated with the stand.
Imtiyaz said that businesses operating in this area provide ample employment opportunities to people and if the public footfall reduced considerably due to bus stand shifting, the employment opportunities would also shrink.
The traders said that they have already apprised the government about the consequences of shifting the bus stand from this area and similar moves in the past have failed miserably.
