Jammu: Over a dozen shops were demolished at the traditional Parade Sabzi Mandi in the heart of Jammu early Sunday, triggering protests from traders who alleged that the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) carried out the drive without giving them prior notice or adequate time to remove their goods and belongings.
Defending its drive, the JMC said a major safety and clearance drive was launched to remove “unsafe and dilapidated” shops as a precautionary measure to safeguard the lives and property of shopkeepers, visitors and the general public, particularly in view of the risks posed by heavy rainfall and potential structural collapses.
The action is part of the JMC’s plan to modernise and comprehensively redevelop the traditional vegetable market in the congested old city under a Rs 5.88-crore smart city project.
The foundation stone for the redevelopment was laid on June 22 to upgrade the market’s infrastructure and provide a more organised and convenient environment for traders and visitors.
A squad of the JMC accompanied by police and paramilitary forces carried out the demolition drive around 7 am, raising to the ground around 20 makeshift and concrete shops, officials said.
However, the manner in which the demolition was carried out has become a major point of contention among the traders.
President of the Vegetable and Fruit Association, Parade Sabzi Mandi, Subash Chander Sharma, alleged that the authorities acted in a “high-handed” manner despite ongoing negotiations and repeated appeals by traders.
“We were not against modernisation and are willing to cooperate with the administration, provided the market was properly rebuild, like the mandis in Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab, where there is adequate space for traders and customers,” he told PTI.
He questioned the proposed movement space inside the redeveloped market, alleging that narrow passages of only six feet would make it extremely difficult for vegetable traders to bring their produce into the market.
“These traders do not bring vegetables by the kilogramme. They bring five quintals, ten quintals, one tonne or even two tonnes of produce. If you provide only a six-foot passage, how will they bring the vegetables inside the market?” Sharma questioned.
The association president said the authorities should have first prepared a proper rehabilitation and relocation plan for the affected traders before undertaking demolition.
“These are poor people earning Rs 400 to Rs 500 a day. They have families. Where will they go? Where will they sit and earn their livelihood?” Sharma asked.
The traders also alleged that the demolition team arrived early, when most shopkeepers were still at home as the market had not opened because of Sunday.
According to the shopkeepers, no formal prior notice was served informing them that their shops would be demolished.
The traders claimed that several shops still contained stock when the demolition began, resulting in significant losses.
Some shopkeepers said the JMC paid no heed to the stay order obtained by them from the court against any demolition drive.
The traders further pointed out that some of the shops had existed for nearly 100 years, describing them as the source of livelihood for generations of families.
“If these structures were unsafe, the authorities should have taken action earlier and made arrangements for the traders. You cannot simply arrive in the early hours and demolish shops where people have their entire livelihood,” Ajay Kumar, a protester, said.
The traders said they were not opposed to the modernisation project, but wanted the administration to ensure that redevelopment did not come at the cost of their livelihoods.
They cited the redevelopment of other commercial areas, including the bus stand, where they claimed that affected traders were provided financial assistance or alternative space during restructuring.
The protesters demanded that the authorities provide alternative vending or shop space, adequate notice, compensation for genuine losses and a clear rehabilitation plan before proceeding with the project.
The JMC’s redevelopment project envisages a spacious Mild Steel (MS) covered shed to provide weather-protected vending space for traders with the facility to accommodate 117 vendor platforms, each measuring 1.8 metres 2.1 metres, ensuring systematic and orderly market operations.
The project also envisages the construction of 44 permanent commercial shop blocks, each measuring 2.4 metres 2.7 metres, to support vegetable vendors and allied businesses in a structured retail setting besides other facilities like modern public amenities with focus on sanitation and cleanliness.
In a statement, the JMC said the initiative has been undertaken under the directions of JMC Commissioner Devansh Yadav to redevelop the vegetable market, improve its infrastructure and ensure a safer and more organised environment for vendors, shoppers and the general public.
The JMC said the major safety and clearance drive was launched to remove unsafe and dilapidated structures paving the way for the immediate commencement of its redevelopment and renovation works.
“Although active civil works were temporarily affected due to the ongoing monsoon season, the JMC accorded priority to the dismantling and removal of hazardous and structurally unsafe shops in the area. The step has been taken as a precautionary measure to safeguard the lives and property of shopkeepers, visitors and the general public, particularly in view of the risks posed by heavy rainfall and potential structural collapses, ” the statement said.
With the unsafe structures now being cleared, the JMC has paved the way for the next phase of the project.
” Civil and redevelopment works at Parade Sabzi Mandi will commence immediately as weather conditions become conducive,” the statement said.
