Srinagar, Apr 21: To make the Sangarmaal shopping plaza at MA Link Road fully functional, the Srinagar Development Authority (SDA) is going to auction the left-over shops and commercial spaces soon.  While the shops and commercial spaces that already stand allotted would be operational by the middle of next month.
 This was decided at a meeting of SDA authorities with the Sangarmaal allottees here Thursday. SDA vice-chairperson Dilshad Khan presided over the meeting. Around 30 allottees who have been allotted shops and commercial spaces at Sangarmaal, were present at the meeting.
 It was agreed in the meeting that all those allottees who have already taken possession of the shops and commercial spaces at Sangarmaal would make it operational by 15 May failing which SDA would be forced to cancel the allotment. 
 Responding to the points raised by the allottees, VC SDA assured them that the authority would make arrangements for maintenance and security of the shopping plaza by deploying authority staff till some permanent arrangement is made in this regard.
 The allottees were also assured of regular power supply and functioning of escalators.
 It was decided in the meeting that the left-over shops and commercial spaces at Sangarmaal would be auctioned soon so that the shopping plaza is made fully operational.
 Secretary SDA, Mathoora Masoom, Director Land Management AR Deva and other senior officers of SDA were also present at the meeting. 
 Pertinently, Sangarmaal was inaugurated by the chief minister, Omar Abdullah on June 5 last year. However, it could not be made operational because of the summer unrest that followed its inauguration. 
 During its inauguration, Omar had described Sangarmaal as “the most beautiful mall in the summer capital” and asked the aspiring builders to take some lesson from its design as most of the malls in Srinagar, he said, were “very ugly”.
 Designed and developed by SDA with the idea of “Shopping-in-Leisure”, Sangarmaal shopping plaza, besides having lush green patches, has sufficient space for restaurants, food courts, kiosks, water bodies, fountains, children’s play area, retail outlets, craft bazaar, amphitheatre and office spaces.
 The SDA VC, Dilshad Khan is optimistic that the mall would soon be functional again.
 “InshaAllah we will start it soon and this is why I had called a meeting with them (traders) to know if they were facing any difficulties,” Khan told Greater Kashmir.
 She, however, said the SDA would act tough against those who don’t resume the work by the deadline.
 “In that case we will cancel the allotments,” she said.
 The VC said next week she would remain stationed at the Sangarmaal for two days to get the things in place.
 “I am shifting my office there for two days so that things get finalized in my presence because we cannot afford to leave such a huge mall attended.”

Lastupdate on : Thu, 21 Apr 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 21 Apr 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:00:00 IST