The minister for Education, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today laid the foundation stone of Municipal Shopping Complex to be built at Hari Singh High Street, here.The minister was accompanied by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmed Khan, District Commissioner, Dr Farooq Ahmed Lone and Commissioner SMC, Dr Shafqat Khan.The complex will be made on the area of 9325 sq ft at the estimated cost of Rs 7.32 Crore. The complex will have the parking at ground floor which will accommodate 37 cars. First and second floor will have 15 shops each.The Minister announced that the community hall will be made on the third floor of complex and will be used by the people of the community.Among the 15 shops a first floor 13 shops will be given to those beneficiaries who owned shops in already existing shopping complex which was removed for some developmental work.The remaining 17 shops will be auctioned, later.
On the occasion, the Minister congratulated the beneficiaries and said they will get their promised shops soon. He said, “The construction of this shopping complex in the fulfillment of promise made by Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, even after his demise.”The Minister promised the beneficiaries that the construction of this shopping complex shall be commenced soon and will be completed in the shortest possible time frame.Bukhari observed that the shopkeepers constitute an integral and legitimate part of the urban retail trade and distribution system for daily necessities of the general public thus need to be rehabilitated in a dignified and time bound manner.He said that this section of traders has helped the Government in combating unemployment and poverty and it is duty of the State to protect the right of these micro-entrepreneurs to earn an honest living. However, the Minister stressed on regulation of street vendors by earmarking restriction-free, restricted and no-vending zones in cities for smooth flow of traffic, pedestrians, cleanliness and maintenance of hygiene in the city.