Demolition of a useless park by the incumbent government near clock tower (Ghantaghar)at historical Lal Chowk built at an estimated cost of 9 crores by one of the popular governments of erstwhile J&K state has restored the lost glory of City Centre Lal Chowk as the area covered by the park was almost a decade ago used for parking of vehicles. While the irrefutable fact is that despite construction of two mechanised parking slots one near KMD bus stand and the other one at Press Enclave Residency road Srinagar the parking of vehicles is a burning issue that demands immediate attention of both the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and as well as Srinagar Development Authority. Restoration of parking facilities for vehicles near clock tower (Ghantaghar) over the area on which a park was uselessly built by one of the previous popular governments of erstwhile J&K has undoubtedly brought a huge respite to the pedestrians, the shopkeepers, the hoteliers and also the private vehicle owners. While the business operations of the shopkeepers on both sides of the Clock tower (Ghantagar) was badly hit by the parking of the private vehicles in front of the shops and other commercial establishments, the park built needlessly at this place a decade ago was mostly used not by the people but by only stray dogs who used to sit in and around the benches that were put in the park for the pedestrians. One of the former MLAs of erstwhile Amirakadal constituency on whose recommendation and insistence this useless park was built by one of the previous popular governments of erstwhile J&K state a decade ago today owes an explanation to the people as to why whooping amount Rs 9 Crore have gone down the drain on construction of useless park that only caused inconvenience instead of providing any convenience to the pedestrians, shopkeepers, hoteliers, and private vehicle owners of the Lal Chowk area on both the sides of the historical clock tower (Ghantaghar).
Fortunately the execution of plan for establishing Tourist Reception Centre near Nowgam Railway Station in the flood prone area started by one of the previous popular governments of erstwhile J&K state has not picked up and better it would be for the incumbent Government to further develop the old Tourist Reception Centre near J&K Bank Headquarters to make it replica of old heritage building that was devastated in a huge blaze in 2005. The restoration of the parking slot near Clock tower (Ghantaghar) at Lal Chowk has generated hopes of restoration of old heritage spots in City Centre area particularly the old TRC Srinagar Complex near J&K Bank Headquarters and the old District Srinagar Court Complex in Lal Chowk area.
In fact execution of such unwise, miscalculated and unplanned works has damaged the historical importance of city centre Lal Chowk during the reigns of the previous popular governments of erstwhile J&K state. The shifting of district court complex Srinagar from Lal Chowk to Bemina in the outskirts of Srinagar has not only hit the business of the local traders but a heritage building of the past that used to house all the courts of district Srinagar till 2014 ceases to be a place of public attraction now. Government may preserve the said heritage building but it can’t make it the place of huge public attraction which it was till 2014. Fortunately the execution of plan for establishing Tourist Reception Centre near Nowgam Railway Station in the flood prone area started by one of the previous popular governments of erstwhile J&K state has not picked up and better it would be for the incumbent Government to further develop the old Tourist Reception Centre near J&K Bank Headquarters to make it replica of old heritage building that was devastated in a huge blaze in 2005. The restoration of the parking slot near Clock tower (Ghantaghar) at Lal Chowk has generated hopes of restoration of old heritage spots in City Centre area particularly the old TRC Srinagar Complex near J&K Bank Headquarters and the old District Srinagar Court Complex in Lal Chowk area.
