MC serves notices on 5 malls for lack of basic facilities

Tribune News Service

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Srinagar, June 23

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) served notices on five prominent shopping malls for lack of basic facilities, such as car parking and toilets.

Issuing the notices last week, the SMC asked the malls to provide gender-specific washrooms, parking facilities, drinking water and fire extinguishers, or face action as per the law.

“We have started a drive against the city shopping malls so that they provide facilities, like washrooms and parking, to the shoppers,” said SMC Commissioner Shafqat Khan.

“We have given time to them and many of them have started the work. For now, we have served notices on five malls,” he said.

After receiving many complaints, the government’s grievances cell had asked the commissioners of the Jammu and Srinagar MCs as well as the directors of the Urban Local Bodies departments of Jammu and Kashmir divisions to furnish a detailed report regarding the availability of functional washrooms and drinking water facilities in the shopping complexes in their respective jurisdictions.

Lately, there has been a mushrooming of shopping malls across Srinagar, but many of them lack basic facilities.

Last year, the High Court ordered sealing of 27 shopping malls in the summer capital for lack of parking facilities. Many of these were located in the commercial hub of the city.

Locals also blamed the authorities for giving permission to malls in residential areas.

In localities, such as Jawahar Nagar, residents said many shopping malls had come up but most lacked parking facilities. Throughout the day, shoppers parked their vehicles on the main road, leading to a congestion.

The SMC Commissioner said the drive would continue and those who fail to comply with the MC’s directions would be dealt with strictly.