Srinagar Mayor takes up issue of “taking over” of marriage halls by CRPF with Div Com

Amid resentment over taking over some of the marriage halls in Srinagar by CRPF, the Srinagar Mayor has taken up the issue with Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir.

In a series of tweets Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu expressed concern over the taking over of several marriage halls of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) by the security forces.

“These community halls are integral to social and community function and are constructed in areas where people don’t have huge houses and lawns. They are a community necessity”, Matu said in one of the tweets.

Sources said that in the past few days, CRPF have occupied marriage halls in Shatrashahi, Illahi Bagh areas of Srinagar city.

It is pertinent to mention here that to upgrade the security apparatus the central government ordered the deployment of an additional fifty companies of paramilitary forces for deployment in Kashmir in the wake of recent spate of civilian killings last month.

“I strongly favour that CRPF personnel deployment in Srinagar should have decent, appropriate housing facilities—but have strongly urged that Community Halls be left for community services”, Mattu said in his tweet.

The Srinagar Mayor said in another tweet, it is very important that community facilitation services are not hampered—It’d be a huge inconvenience to people and also stigmatize law and order measures”.

The Mayor said Divisional Commissioner Pandurang K Pole has assured him that alternate options will be explored. “I’ve strongly urged for this”, Mattu expressed in another tweet.

He however stressed that it is not a “political issue – and should not be distorted as such.”

At some places people in Srinagar have shown concern and staged protests against the taking over of community halls by the security forces and demanded their shifting to other suitable places.

UNI