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| Traders worried over move to shift bus stand | | |
JAMMU | FEB 6
The business community of old Jammu city is highly perturbed over the move of state government on shifting the general bus stand from present location and its diversification at three different sites.
A cross-section of businessmen from the old city has expressed serious concern over the decision saying that the move will adversely affect their trade.
The government has reportedly mooted the idea following directives from State High Court and plans to diversify the bus stand at three different places viz Birpur about 8 kilometers from the main city, for the Kathua routes busses, at Paloura, 10 kilometers from the old city, for the Poonch route busses and at Khanpur near Nagrota which is again 10 kilometers from the city.
“The members of the trading community have, however, appreciated the government as well as the High Court for showing concern over traffic chaos prevailing in the winter capital but remedy of these maladies does not lie in the shifting of the bus stand from the present site,” said Inder Jeet Khajuria, president Hotel and Lodging Action Committee, while talking to Early Times. He added that a person coming from Poonch on reaching Paloura will have to hire an auto rickshaw or mini bus. This will have cascading effect as number of vehicles coming here would increase.
“At present the main business hub of the city is near the bus stand and the main shopping centres like Raghunath Bazar, Hari Market, Ranbir Market, BC Road, Jewel, Upper Gummat and Lower Gummat. Apart from it these are also center of attraction for Vaishno Devi Pilgrims as most of the hotels, lodges, eating houses, dry fruit shops, Handloom and Handicraft shops are located in the area and shifting of the bus stand will ruin the business of the city” said Kuljeet Singh, President Trikuta Complex Traders Association. He said that the alternative remedy to meet the problem of traffic hazard is that the present bus stand should serve only as the starting and terminus point for busses of all routes while all the idle busses should be parked outside the city.
Meanwhile, Ashwani Sharma, president Shopkeepers Association General Bus Stand alleged that the bus stand which originally had 52 kanals space shrunk due to the construction of buildings and makeshift workshops of the motors in the premises of the bus stand.
He added that they have been demanding since long for remodeling and upgrading the present bus stand and in this regard in a meeting of concerned agencies chaired by Transport minister some months back a blue print for upgrading the bus stand was also prepared by the Chief Town Planner, JDA.
The businessmen community has requested all the government agencies concerned with the matter to prepare alternative plan instead of shifting the bus stand.
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