BTA reiterates demand for restoration of Batamaloo bus stand

Srinagar, Nov 3: The Batamaloo Traders Association (BTA) has strongly renewed its demand for the restoration of the Batamaloo General Bus Stand, once considered the economic and transport lifeline of Srinagar.

In a statement, BTA President, Peer Imtiyaz Ahmad said the shifting of the bus stand from Batamaloo to Parimpora—and effectively to Sharif Abad—has inflicted irreparable damage on the city’s business ecosystem, stretching from Downtown to Residency Road and Lal Chowk. The move, according to the traders, shattered livelihoods, disrupted trade networks, and turned a once-vibrant commercial hub into an area of economic stagnation.

The BTA said if the government can revisit major decisions benefiting the Jammu division, including reconsideration of the Darbar Move, then the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should also review the Batamaloo issue with the same sense of justice and responsibility. The Association added that traders from Batamaloo have consistently been among the top GST contributors in the Kashmir division, yet their concerns continue to be ignored.

Highlighting the broader impact, the BTA noted that within the immediate vicinity of the old bus stand are seven major banks, the Civil Secretariat, the Accountant General’s Office, the Fire & Emergency Headquarters, and five prominent hospitals—all of which once thrived on the connectivity and footfall generated by the Batamaloo Bus Stand. Its removal, they said, has not only crippled local trade but weakened the commercial heartbeat of Srinagar as a whole.

The Association further urged the government to reconsider its plan of developing an amusement park at Tatoo Ground, suggesting instead that the site be developed as a Medical and Education Zone to serve larger public needs and ensure sustainable urban development.