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Shutdown in Kashmir’s Budshah Chowk after Waqf seals six shops
There was a shutdown by businesses in Kashmir’s prominent Budshah Chowk in Srinagar on Thursday in protest against the sealing of six shops by J&K Waqf Board owing to dispute over rent hike. Dozens of shopkeepers including those whose shops are not owned by Waqf downed their shutters in Budshah Chowk in city centre Lal Chowk
There was a shutdown by businesses in Kashmir’s prominent Budshah Chowk in Srinagar on Thursday in protest against the sealing of six shops by J&K Waqf Board owing to dispute over rent hike.
Dozens of shopkeepers including those whose shops are not owned by Waqf downed their shutters in Budshah Chowk in city centre Lal Chowk after the Waqf Board had sealed six of the shops during the previous night.
The shopkeepers said that the Waqf authorities sealed the shops over lingering rent issues. They said that the Waqf Board has unilaterally revised the rent again by making a hike of over 500% to 1000%. Budshah Chowk is a prime business location which witnesses greater footfall and brisk sales than other parts of the capital.
“The rent was revised four years ago by 120% which was all agreed upon and which we are already paying. But now they have again revised it unilaterally saying those paying ₹1,000 will have to fetch ₹10,000 and those shopkeepers who have ₹1,300 as rent are being asked to pay ₹13,000,” said a shopkeeper of the market.
He said that the shopkeepers approached court against the new hike where the case was ongoing. “Today without any notice or information, the Wakf has sealed these shops. Has the court authorised them? No, they have no authorisation,” he said.
The shopkeepers demanded that the seals should be opened and the Wakf board should negotiate with the market association over the rent issue.
Chairperson J&K Waqf Board, Darakshan Andrabi said that some of the tenants of the board resort to protests when they are asked to pay their rents. “Waqf is not property of Darakshan Andrabi, it belongs to us all - the common people. And if things continue like this, the Wakf will cease to exist because these people are without any rent deeds of these shops. They don’t have any rent deed or any lease agreements, all of them have expired. Is it their personal property? It belongs to Wakf,” she said.
She said that those protesting today are illegal occupants of these shops. “These six shopkeepers owe 9.5 lakh rupees to Waqf. Shall we allow them to do what they used to do earlier? If we don’t wake up and stop them, then the next generation won’t forgive us. These six shop keepers are illegal occupants,” she said.
Andrabi acknowledged that the rent has been revised, increasing the amount 10 times. “Those paying ₹500 rent will have to pay ₹5000 or if the current rent is ₹700, it has been increased to ₹7,000. These are big shops and if they can’t afford the rent, they should return the property to Waqf. Why put a burden on themselves?,” she said.
In the evening, the Waqf chairperson visited the market and held negotiations with the shopkeepers following which the shops opened. Andrabi said that the shopkeepers issued cheques in lieu of a portion of their rent and have promised to pay the remaining as well.
