SMC mulls designated zones for food carts to remove encroachments in Sgr

Ada Bhat
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30 Apr 2026

Genuine vendors list being prepared: Commissioner

Srinagar, Apr 29: Authorities are planning to create designated zones for food cart vendors around Lal Chowk to remove encroachments along the roadside, Commissioner Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) Fazl-ul-Haseeb said in an exclusive interaction with Rising Kashmir.

"A list of vendors who are genuine beneficiaries is being prepared at present to identify them from Jahangir Chowk to Amira Kadal. It is taking time to identify the genuine beneficiaries. After compiling the list, it will be tallied with the existing to check the genuine among them," Hasaeeb said, adding that designated zones for food cart vendors are being planned to decongest roads and ensure smooth traffic movement.

The Commissioner announced that 28 shops, along with two halls at the under-construction Parimpora Habba Khatoon Shopping Complex, are set to be auctioned online through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal, with bidding scheduled for May 22 and 23.

He said the shopping complex is in its final stages of completion and will be ready shortly. "We intend to ensure large participation of bidders this time and thus have decided to carry out an auction process," he said.

The timeline for the auction process includes submission of pre-qualification documents from May 1 to May 8, followed by scrutiny from May 9 to May 15. The Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) submission window will run from May 16 to May 20, while final bidding will take place over a 48-hour period on May 22 and 23.

The entire process will be conducted online through the GeM portal, eliminating the need for physical presence. "Participants can bid from anywhere. We have also set up an Auction Facilitation Cell to assist applicants with registration and the bidding process," Haseeb said.

The facilitation cell, comprising five officials, will operate from Rooms 207 and 208, Block C, at the SMC office. Additional support will be available from senior officials, including the Joint Commissioners.

The SMC Commissioner said the complex includes 11 shops each on the ground and first floors, six shops on the second floor, along with two large halls. "The objective is to ensure maximum participation and a competitive bidding process that benefits both the corporation and the public. The focus is on ensuring the process succeeds with broad participation," he added.