Jammu Municipal Corporation demolishes 20 shops in Satwari

The Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) demolished approximately 20 shops at Satwari Chowk on Thursday. The affected shopkeepers, some of whom had operated the establishments for roughly 50 years, expressed anger, alleging that the demolitions occurred without prior notice or adequate time to move their belongings.

The shopkeepers claimed they had been regularly paying monthly rent to the municipal authorities. The demolition is linked to ongoing development works and road widening in the Satwari area. While the UT Cabinet had previously approved a rehabilitation and resettlement scheme for those affected by these works, traders expressed skepticism regarding the implementation.

A JMC official stated that the affected shopkeepers would be relocated to a new site within six months. However, local traders and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry have raised concerns over the uncertainty of these promises, with some shopkeepers demanding immediate financial compensation instead of relocation.