Srinagar, Sep 2: The Traders Association Central Lal Chowk has opposed the proposed relocation of the Civil Secretariat and 20 other major administrative and security offices from central Srinagar, warning that the move could have a significant impact on businesses operating in the city’s commercial core.

Association president Feroz Ahmad Baba said the concentration of government institutions in and around central Srinagar has for decades supported a wider commercial ecosystem, with traders, restaurants, retailers and transport operators benefiting from the daily movement of employees and visitors.
The association maintained that removing these establishments would reduce the regular footfall on which a large number of businesses depend and could weaken the economic activity of the Lal Chowk area.
Baba said the issue should not be viewed only through the lens of traffic congestion, arguing that Lal Chowk’s commercial importance and its historical role as the centre of Srinagar also needed to be taken into consideration while reviewing the proposal.
The traders said traffic management in the city was necessary but argued that the problem could be addressed through measures such as improved traffic regulation, multi-level parking facilities and strengthening of public transport rather than relocating the administrative core.
The association has urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other concerned authorities to review the proposal in the context of the Master Plan-2035 and hold consultations with traders and other stakeholders before taking a final decision.
It said a broader consultation was necessary to balance the need for decongesting central Srinagar with the economic interests and livelihoods associated with the city’s traditional commercial centre.