Markets open for longer hours, public transport back on roads in Srinagar

Signs of normalcy were visible in Srinagar as most modes of public transport have started plying, while markets at some places remained open for longer hours, officials said on Thursday.

The intra-district connectivity in Srinagar has been restored as cabs have started plying in several areas of the city, the officials said.

There are reports of movement of intra-district cabs and other modes of public transport in most other district headquarters of the valley as well.

With this, most modes of public transport have started plying in the valley, especially in the city here, as inter-district cabs, auto-rickshaws and few mini-buses were already plying.

Private transport was plying unhindered in the city here and elsewhere in the valley with several areas witnessing traffic jams.

The officials said shops in some areas, including in the commercial hub of Lal Chowk, have started to remain open for longer hours during the day.

However, the shops open only for few hours in the morning in downtown (old city) areas, they added.

The markets across the valley had been following a new pattern of functioning, opening early morning till around noon and then closing to join the protest against abrogation of the special status of the state.

The officials said miscreants and militants were using fear mongering to put down any resistance to unannounced shutdown by threatening shopkeepers and businessmen.

The officials said two grenade attacks in the city's busy Goni Khan market and Kaka Sarai areas recently and killing of a shopkeeper in Tral area of south Kashmir's Pulwama distirct on Wednesday were an indication that there were concerted efforts to keep the shutdown going.

Efforts of the state government to open schools have not borne any fruit as parents continued to keep children at home due to apprehensions about their safety.

However, the board examinations for class 10th and Class 12th are going on as per schedule.

Internet services across all platforms continued to be suspended in Kashmir for the 102nd day on Thursday.

The authorities snapped all communication lines landline telephone and mobile phone services and internet across all platforms -- on August 5, hours before the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 and to bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union territories.

While landline telephones were gradually restored, post-paid mobile services resumed later. However, pre-paid mobile and Internet services are yet to be resumed.

Most of the top level and second rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- have been either detained or placed under house arrest.

The government has detained former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah under the controversial Public Safety act.