Jammu, Mar 16: Congress leader and former Jammu Municipal Corporation Chairman, Satish Sharma on Sunday said the livelihoods of approximately 39 shopkeepers in Naya Basti are at risk as the administration prepares to demolish their shops.
He expressed deep concern for the livelihoods of the local shopkeepers facing eviction and criticised the government and BJP leaders for their lack of action in relocating these vendors prior to issuing final eviction notices.
Sharma criticised the government’s approach, saying the authorities should have allocated alternative locations for the displaced shopkeepers prior to issuing final notices of eviction.
He accused BJP leaders of merely engaging in “cheap politics” by participating in protests with the affected shopkeepers while failing to provide real solutions. He expressed frustration over the lack of proactive measures from the government, saying that if there was genuine intention to support the shopkeepers, arrangements could have been made for their relocation to designated areas, such as Bhagwati Nagar.
“Governments should prioritise settling people, not displacing them. The BJP’s actions reveal their true intentions, as they are more focused on political formalities than the well-being of the community,” Sharma said.
The Congress leader said the issue of Naya Basti shops dates back to before the current government was formed. He criticised the BJP-led administration for not having a plan in place to address the long-standing concerns of local businesses.
“Jammu and Kashmir is a Union Territory and the Lieutenant Governor is the one who does everything here and there is a BJP’s government at the Centre, so how is it possible that if a place was marked for shops in Bhagwati Nagar for those people, then there should be some obstacle in it,” he said.
He said the BJP leaders and MLAs are just fooling the shopkeepers by sitting on dharna with them because if in reality, they had to be shifted somewhere else then they would have been given a place by now.
Highlighting the impact of the impending evictions, Sharma said, “Every shopkeeper’s family relies on their business for survival. The administration should act to preserve their livelihoods and future, rather than displace them without regard for their welfare.”
