Examiner Bureau / Jammu:
The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) on Thursday demolished around 20 shops at Satwari Chowk, triggering protests and anger among affected shopkeepers, who alleged that the decades-old commercial establishments were razed without prior information or adequate notice.
According to the shopkeepers, the establishments had been operating at the site for nearly 50 years, with occupants claiming that they had regularly paid monthly rent to the municipal authorities.
The affected traders alleged that the demolition action was carried out without providing them sufficient notice, leaving them with little time to remove their belongings or make alternative arrangements for their businesses.
The demolition has also brought the long-pending issue of rehabilitation and resettlement of shopkeepers affected by development works in the Satwari area back into focus.
The UT Cabinet had earlier approved a rehabilitation and resettlement scheme for shopkeepers and open-space kiosks affected by road-widening works at Nai Basti and Satwari Chowk.
A JMC official, however, said the affected shopkeepers would be relocated to an alternative site within six months, offering an assurance that the traders would not be left without a place to carry out their businesses.
The assurance, however, failed to pacify the affected shopkeepers, who rejected the claim as a “white lie”, saying they had received assurances of rehabilitation in the past as well but continued to face uncertainty over their livelihoods.
The issue of rehabilitation of Satwari shopkeepers has been raised repeatedly by traders’ bodies. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry has previously maintained that the affected shopkeepers had been paying rent to municipal authorities and had sought alternative sites and a proper rehabilitation mechanism.
The latest demolition has once again brought the concerns of the affected traders to the forefront, with shopkeepers demanding clarity on their rehabilitation and a concrete timeline for their relocation.
