Srinagar, Jan 10: The traders community of City’s commercial hub –Lal Chowk on Sunday called off their 3-day long strike after a meeting with government on shifting of bunkers from Palladium site and Amira Kadal bridge. The market, comprising of some 1500 shops, will reopen Monday, the traders said.
 “We have called off our strike on assurance by the government that the bunkers would be shifted” the association President, Mushtaq Ahmad said adding the government would announce in three days the timeframe for shifting of the bunkers.
 The traders association made the announcement after a meeting with the Minister of State for Housing, Nasir Sogami, Divisional Commissioner, Naseema Lanker and City Police Chief, Reyaz Bedar.
 During the meeting, the traders put forth their demands that the bunker at erstwhile Palladium Cinema site and the Amira Kadal be removed.
 Sources said Sogami told the traders that it would take time adding the matter needs to be taken up with the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
 “On this, we gave, three days time for the government to decide on the time it would take in the shifting of the bunkers,” the traders said.
 Later in the afternoon, the government team led by the MoS who is also the local MLA visited the Lal Chowk area and assured the traders that their demands would be met in due course of time.
 The demand for removal of the Palladium picket, which was the target of frequent militant attacks, gained momentum in the aftermath of 22-hour-long encounter between militants and troops in the Area, past week.

MARKET LOSES OVER RS 1 CR
The three day shutdown by the traders at Lal chowk has cost them Rs 1 crore, market pundits said Sunday.
 They said the shopkeepers do a business of over Rs 30 lakh a day which means the losses in three day strike exceeded Rs one crore mark.
 “These are conservative figures on average basis otherwise the market remains bullion,” said a market expert.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Jan 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:00:00 IST