Raghunath Bazaar beautification project moves at a snail’s pace

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 2

The sluggish approach of the state government towards much-talked about a beautification project has the sheen off 159-year-old historic Raghunath Bazaar, which continues to be a significant emblem of Jammu’s spiritual and cultural heritage.

Named after famous Raghunath Temple, a legacy of the erstwhile Dogra rulers in J&K, Raghunath Bazaar has been the famous shopping centre of the winter capital. The bazaar, which is the centre of attraction for tourists since its inception, has no dearth of variety in products, be it local or international brands.

The bazaar, however, has been experiencing a number of problems. Lack of proper parking lots and drainage system, uncovered manholes, congested space and static status of the development projects approved to upgrade it are forcing tourists and local customers to give a miss to the market, thereby causing a huge business loss to the traders.

Nevertheless the craze for Raghunath Bazaar is still there for the local residents. Affirming his trust on the traders, one of the local customers Jatin Saini, said, “I have been shopping from Raghunath Bazaar since my childhood days. Not only we choose a place to shop, but also to meet our friends. The products we purchase from here are mostly satisfactory and if not we get courteous response from the shopkeeper. The best is the availability of good products at affordable prices.”

The Raghunath Bazaar beautification project was approved in 2009. It was initiated by Governor NN Vohra. The Rs 6.67-crore project, which was taken up to restore the lost significance of the old market, is still incomplete due to shortage of funds. So far, an amount of Rs 4 crore has been spent on the project, while the remaining Rs 2.67 crore has not been released by the state government, which has halted the project midway.

With the declining footfall in the market weighing heavy on his mind, MM Sharma, a local shopkeeper, voiced his concerns about the failure of the state government to restore the historical and cultural heritage of Raghunath Bazaar. He said, “No parking space and congested roads are the most critical problems being faced by shopkeepers and visitors. Moreover, the direct train service to Katra, base camp of the Vaishno Devi shrine, has cast its shadow on the influx of tourists to the bazaar, owing to which the sales and purchases have dropped drastically.”

Baldev Khullar, president of the Raghunath Bazaar Business Association (RBBA), said, “We request the state government to complete the project by 2016 so that the current business losses are recovered in future. Before the upcoming District Development Board (DDB) meeting, we also appeal to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed for initiating measures for the early completion of the project.”

Giving details of the project, Khullar said, “The project includes erecting of 36 ornamental pillars of carved stone to be installed on both sides of the road across the bazaar. It also includes fixing of 10 lion-mouthed drinking water taps, providing filtered potable water to public and fixing pink and red coloured Dholpuri stones on the footpaths on both sides.”

Asked about immediate needs of Raghunath Bazaar, Khullar said, “A centralised sound system playing instrumental music and giving security messages is must to keep a vibrant and secure environment. Besides, we need proper parking lots, CCTV cameras and measures to avoid flooding during rains.”