Srinagar, Aug 4: With curfew in Srinagar city entering 5th day on Wednesday, the people here are facing tough times particularly due to acute shortage of essential commodities.
 Greater Kashmir received complaints from various areas of the city that many are running short of commodities like LPG, K-oil, food grains, vegetables, bread and milk as the police and paramilitary CRPF were not allowing any sales even in the Mohalla interiors.
 The problem is more so in the densely populated Shahr-e-Khas, where people say they weren’t allowed to keep even the windows open.
 “For the past three days we have been consuming Tehri as we don’t have any vegetables to cook,” said elderly Ali Muhammad of Naid Kadal.
 Ali said the armed forces were not allowing any shops in the interiors to remain open.
 “We had a small grocery shop which would sell essentials including milk, bread and some vegetables, but the shopkeeper isn’t being allowed to venture out,” the locals complained.
 The residents of Safa Kadal said even the baker (Kandur in local parlance) was being denied permission to prepare the bread. ‘The troops deliberately stand outside the baker’s shop so that it remains shut,” said a family at Safa Kadal.
 The family said it was for the first time in the past two years that the people were denied bread during curfews.
 The adjoining areas like Sekidafar, Narwara and Wanganpora –known for growing vegetables sold in the city markets –have a similar tale to narrate.
 “Nobody is being allowed to move towards or out of our vegetable growing areas,” said a vegetable grower of Wanganpora accusing the paramilitary CRPF of perpetuating reign of terror in the area.
 “We could supply vegetables for considerable part of the city, but the troopers aren’t allowing us to move out,” he alleged.
 Another major shortage is that of the milk.
 “My two year old daughter like other members of the family is
 consuming tea without milk…But then we don’t have any options,” said a family in Hyderpora.
 A milkman from the adjoining Sheikhpora in Budgam would supply milk in the uptown locality.
 “But since the day curfew was clamped he isn’t being allowed to visit our area,” the Hyderpora people complained.
 The shortage of medicines is another major problem.
 Firdous Ahmed of Mandir Bagh said he couldn’t get medicines for his wife suffering from a renal problem.
 “I pleaded before the CRPF personnel, but they chased me away before listening anything,” Firdous said.
 A senior official in the city police said the curfew was being enforced in “letter and spirit” in line with the government directions.
 The district Magistrate Srinagar has directed the City police Chief to enforce curfew in its “letter and spirit”.
 The DDC vide order No DMS/PS/Misc/10/858-76 dated July 30 directed the SSP to “implement the order in letter and spirit.”
 A senior police official said with such stringent orders in place, nobody could be allowed to venture out under any circumstances.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 4 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 4 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 5 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST