Owais Gul
Srinagar, Nov 29: Nearly a century old market—Government central market Kashmir Haat, is losing its sheen with each passing day as the business at the once famed, marketplace has got badly affected with the businessman stating that bringing the bazaar on tourism map would help them to revive their business.
Almost every shopkeeper at the market is claiming that despite the tourism boom in the Valley, the tourists don’t visit them as the market is off-route and has been ignored so far.
Khurshid Ahmad, one of the traders, told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the market was started in 1937 when Maharaja Rulers forced the artisans to come up with the market to promote the local product.
“The tourists, parliamentarians and others would visit the market every day. But now, it’s unfortunate that the tourists hardly visit the market where everything is available including Shawls, dry fruit, paper mache, woodcarving and other local produce,” he said.
Ahmad further said that the tourists, who throng the other places have to move from one place to another to get the local produce, but the market despite having everything has been ignored.
“The tourism department should look into the matter so that the tourists would be able to get knowledgeable where the tourism market is,” he said, adding that ignoring the market has forced many to switch to other jobs.
President of the market, Nisar Ahmad Kitaba told KNO that the market is completely lying defunct at present. “This market is solely dependent on the tourists. There are 127 shops in the market and it is famous among people all across the globe. However, the official apathy has deteriorated the situation of the businessman as well as the market,” he said.
He added that the department concerned is now extending its support as the exhibitions are being organized here. “But, the situation has worsened to a large extent. We have appealed to the government to allow us to make local items available here till the situation improves and the tourists start visiting the place again,” he said.
“Although the tourism is witnessing a boom in Kashmir, the market has become an odd-site for the tourists as mostly they visit Dalgate, Boulevard, Lal Chowk and other areas only. Now, we have appealed the administration to bring the market on tourism map, which would ensure the tourists visit the marketplace so that the business can be revived once again,” he said—(KNO)
