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| Pro Zakir Musa, anti-government slogans greet SMC's team during anti-encroachment drive | | | Jehangir Rashid
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Feb 22: A team of the officers of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) led the Municipal Commissioner were greeted with pro Zakir Musa slogans while they arrived to remove the roadside vendors in an important commercial area of summer capital of the state.
Eye-witnesses told Early Times that following the incident the SMC officers were forced to undertake a hasty retreat and the operation had to be called off by the authorities. The SMC officials were virtually saved from the assault by the lower rung staff of the corporation.
"A team of SMC officers led by SMC Commissioner Riyaz Ahmad Wani arrived in some of the commercially important areas in Srinagar to remove the roadside vendors from these areas. However, the plan had to be called off due to the stiff resistance offered by the roadside vendors," said eye-witnesses.
The eye-witnesses said that the roadside vendors of Hari Singh High Street and Sarai Bala areas virtually came to blows with the SMC team. The SMC team was attacked by the roadside vendors in these areas and the situation turned chaotic within no time. Such was the gravity of situation that no roadside vendor could be shifted.
"Some of the roadside vendors raised slogans in favour of militant commander Zakir Musa. Some of them raised slogans against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state government. They accused the state government of failure and said that ordinary people have suffered a lot during the present dispensation," said eye-witnesses.
The eye-witnesses said that the roadside vendors made it clear to the SMC team that since they are paying 'hafta' to the SMC officials the corporation has no moral right to shift them from their place of business. The roadside vendors said that they will not hold back and will not desist in causing harm to the SMC officers.
"The information about the visit of SMC officers got leaked and the roadside vendors already knew about the visit. The roadside vendors virtually put up a united stand against the SMC officers and the other officials. The SMC team had to eat a humble pie and leave the place but not before confrontation with the roadside vendors," said eye-witnesses. The team later on carried out a drive against encroachments in the Batmaloo area.
Media Relations Officer, SMC, Masrat Yousuf said that senior officers of the corporation had to face a wrath from street vendors during an extensive anti encroachment drive cum awareness. The street vendors assaulted some of the senior most officers of the Corporation during the drive that was launched on anti encroachments in various areas including Maharaja Bazaar, Batmaloo, Hari Singh High Street and other areas.
"It was an extensive drive that SMC launched in compliance to the orders of Hon'ble High Court in PIL No: 458/2003 titled Kashmir Consumer Welfare Forum and another V/S Commissioner Transport Department & others. All the senior officials of Corporation, Municipal Union Employees, Municipal Workers Union, including the enforcement wing headed by Commissioner SMC himself took to these areas in order to create a grand awareness through public addressing system on anti encroachment drives," said Media Relations Officer, SMC.
Masrat said that Commissioner SMC personally interacted with the street vendors regarding the inconvenience that is caused to public due to occupying the road side and public spaces which has also become main cause of traffic jams and accidents in the city. But however some miscreants at Hari Singh High Street showed resentment and started assaulting senior officers of the corporation due to which the drive had to be called off. |
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