Batamaloo Bus stand shifting: No land yet for shopping complex for displaced shoppers  

SRINAGAR: The state government has said that land for shopping complex at Parimpora to rehabilitate affected shopkeepers of Batamaloo bus stand has not been transferred to the R&B Department as yet.  The proposed complex, the government said, shall have open platforms for 240 Rehdi vendors.

“The erstwhile General Bus Stand, Batmaloo has been shifted to Parimpora on the directions of High court and there is no proposal to rehabilitate the shopkeepers of Bus Stand Batmaloo by Housing & Urban Development Department,” deputy chief minister Dr Nirmal Singh, who is also minister incharge of H&UDD said in just concluded budget session.

“The Public Works (R&B) Department has a proposal to rehabilitate the affected shopkeepers of old Bus stand Batamaloo which stands shifted to the new location at Parimpora. The land measuring 25 kanals has been identified for the purpose by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir inside the SRTC Yard at Parimpora,” he according to GNS said.

However, the minister said that the land has not been transferred to the R&B Department as yet. “Detailed Project Report (DPR) for “construction of shopping complex at Bus stand Parimpora for rehabilitation of shopkeepers of Bus stand Batamaloo” at an estimated cost of Rs. 1945.42 lacs is under technical scrutiny in R&B Department.”

He said the proposed shopping complex shall rehabilitate shopkeepers of all categories including general category shops (196), Automobile workshops (200), comment concrete platforms for cluster units for hawkers (196) and open platforms for Reihdi vendors (240).

“The work on the project shall be taken in hand once the identified land is transferred to R&B department subject to availability of funds,” he added. (GNS)