BK News

Srinagar, Feb 24: Implementation of Smart City projects or levying of property tax is for creating better facilities and infrasjin88bet.onetructure for the people, Srinagar Municipal Commissioner, Athar Aamir Khan said on Thursday in a function held by PHD Chamber of Commerce Kashmir Chapter here.

Khan, according to a stak168app.babyatement issued by the PHD Chamber, saidak168app.club that the property tax is progressive and has been devised keeping in view the social and economic aspects. The rates imposed are very nominal compared to other municipal corporations of country and with special exemptions for poor and marginalised, he ks168app.siteadded.

Khan was speaking as a special invitee to the core group meeting of the PHD Chamber, according the statement.

An engaged civil society is a vehicle for people participating in the develic88opment and implementation of government policies and programs, he said, while throwing light on various verticals and aspects of Srinagar Smart City.

ic88ic88Earlier Vicky Shaw Chair PHD Chamber Kashmir  fully supported the CEO Srinagar Smart City for the mammic88oth task of reshaping the whole city under Srinagar smart City Project and assured the Commissioner  that the PHD Chamber will outreach  in coordination with government to make people aware about the reforms and developments that are being implemented by the government at various levels. In his speech he welcomed the Clr88hief Guest and core group members  and apprised everyone about PHDCCI, the 117 years old National Chamber’s  activities and latest developments since he took over as chair of Kashmir Chapter. Helr88 further commented about extending full support to the government  based on integrity and faithfulness. Shaw  also soughlr88t everybody’s view as to how best to further strengthen the PHDCCI Kashmir   which has already caught the imagination of the masses and the youth of J&K. He said, the team   is spearheading it but at the same time we havlr88e to devise a strategy to work in conjunction to cooperate with the central and UT government aop88nd other government agencies to remove some of the barriers to trade and business and we have to assist in the policy-making to ensure that all interests are looked after.

The meeting was attended by immediate former Chair Kashmir- Baldev Singh Raina and csi88ore members Himayu wani, Nasir Shah, Bilal Ahmad Bhat, Pervaiz Qalander, Haleem Bhat,  Owais Raja, Ubair Shah, Adnan Shah, Sajid Nazir 88vShah and Iqbal Fayaz Jan  Deputy Director PHDCCI J&K. The members  discussed various economic and social issues in threadbare. The mSEXXXXX-VNembers decided to devise a strategy and will help the youth and existing industry to diversify in new business with latest technology and avenues which remains unexplored in this part of the world.

BK News

Srinagar:jin88bet.oneak168app.baby Deputy Commissioner Shopian Sachin Kumar Vaishya Tuesday held a meeting to review the land acquisition process for NH-444 within the stipak168app.clubulated time frame in the district. 

The National Highway-444 is an alternaks168app.sitete highway to NH-44. It starts at Qazigund in Jammu and Kashmir and ends in Srinagaic88r, passing viaic88 district Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama. 

The meeting held a detailed review of the present status ic88of the land acquisition process and discussed the steps reqic88uired for removing the bottlenecks for the timely completion of the process. 

He adlr88vised all the concerned officers to complete the land acquisition process for NH-444 in Shopian within a few days. lr88

Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mushtaq Ahmad lr88Simnani; Assistant commissioner Revenue, Shahbaz Ahmad Bodha; Tehsildar Shopian, LDM, Executlr88ive Engineer R&B 1st Division Srinagar, Naib Tehsildars and other concerned officers attended the meeting.

op88The general public in the twin districts of Shopian and si88Kulgam have requested the administration for c88vompleting the demarcation of the land for the national highway at SEXXXXX-VNthe earliest, as the ambiguity of road tracts at certain places is creating confusion among them.  

Lack of footpaths, walkways makes it dangerous for people to move around in the city.jin88bet.one

As the vehicular traffic in the Srinagar roads has witnessed an unprecedented rise in the last few years, it is becoming extremely dangerous for pedestrians to move around in the city. On the one side, fast-moving traffic is making it life-threatening to cross the roads and streetak168app.babys, while on the other side, illegal encroachment of footpaths, walkways is pushing back foot-travellers to walk alongside the cars and motorcycles on transport tracks at great risk to their lives.

When there are no legal provisions for protecting pedestrians and their movemeak168app.clubnt, our government and policymakers do not plan safe passages, neither there are proper crossing points in their road desks168app.siteigns. Existing footpaths and crossing points are ill-planned and without any zebra crossing signs. As on-street parking takes precedence over pedestrian infrastructure like paved sidewalks in our city planning, space for pedestrian movement is shrinking fast oic88n the city roads. It is a dangerous trend for a city that homes more than two million people, is touted as a metropolis, and projected as a key tourist destination.

Modern cities are not only pedestrian-friendly, but they take special care of the needs of children and old age people. People wic88ith disabilities, especially those with mobility issues, face a hard time moving around in Srinagar city. There is no way that one can push around a wheelchair or a pram.

Pedestrian right of way needs to be the priority of any road plic88anning in the city, but it is otherwise here.

Most of the existing footpaths – as the pavements or sidewalks are named here – are narrow or full of obstacles making them unfit for public use. There is no uniformity. At some places, these footpaths are ic88so high that they look like a supporting bund or retention wall. At many junctions, they lack connectivity with each other. Electricity plr88oles, TV and telecommunication cable poles, billboards, even city beautification lights and trees are installed, in such a way, that these footpaths automatically become unusable.   

While traffic lights have been installed at many major traffic junctions in the city from time to time, but most of them are not made functional due to unknown reasons. There lr88are no pedestrian crossing arrangements at these traffic crossing points. Even vehicular blockades are laid without keeping into considerationlr88 foot travellers. Take the example of Jehangir Chowk – Exhibition Ground junction, which witnesses heavy traffic throughout the day. As there is no system to stop the traffic, to let the pedestrians cross, it is extremely difficult for the people on foot to cross the congested junction. (These issues cannot be overcome by painting the pillars of the overhead bridge.)

The same lr88is the case ahead of Badshah Bridge near the Maisuma-Koker Bazaar crossing. People keep crossing in moving traffic, mostly at great risk to their life and safety. In fact, there are no designated pedestrian crossing points in the entire Srinagar city.  

While the administration keepop88s saying that Srinagar will be developed into a world-class ‘smart city’, they should note that it is not possible by allowing haphazard and unplanned constructions bsi88y both the private sector and the government agencies. 

Modern cities are not only pedestrian-friendly, but they take special care of the needs of children and old age people. 88vPeople with disabilities, especially those with mobility issues, face a hard time moving around in Srinagar city. There is no way that one can push around a wheelchair or a pram.

To make SrinagaSEXXXXX-VNr a modern city, its roads not only need redesign but more focus must be given to footpaths, sidewalks, bicycle tracks and sophisticated public transport. That is doable within the available resources.