Jammu: The failure of the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) to remove the encroachments from footpaths in this winter capital is hindering the public movement.
Most of the footpaths in Jammu city areas including Gumat, Jewel, Canal road, Residency road, and Science College road, are occupied by street vendors while the JMC is sitting with closed eyes over the violation.
“We hardly find any space to walk on the footpaths already occupied by vendors,” said a shopper Ravi Kumar.
He said Jammu being the ‘City of Temples’ witnesses much tourist inflow and the pilgrims equally suffer.
“These vendors have made even the pilgrims to suffer who have no option but to walk on main road,” Kumar added. “This is unfortunate and shameful.”
The locals of the areas rued the apathy by municipal authorities towards the “sensitive matter which is easily ignored by JMC due to reasons better known to it”.
“The encroachment by vendors is also the main reason for traffic jams which often leads to accidents,” they said.
Despite several attempts, the Commissioner, JMC could not be reached for comments.