No Ban on Tongas in Sopore: DC Baramulla

Baramulla: Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Aijaz Asad Thursday said that there is no ban on Tongas in north Kashmir’s Sopore town which is a clear contradiction with the orders passed by his Additional Deputy Commissioner Parvaiz Sajad.

Earlier, the authorities in the Sopore area of Wednesday imposed a blanket ban on the Tongas, the horse-driven carts that were a symbol of the apple-rich north Kashmir town. The decision was taken by the administration to relocate the cart vendors and hawkers to specified areas. Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Sopore, Parvaiz Sajad had said that this decision was taken for the betterment of the town, especially for the smooth movement of traffic.

The DC Baramulla said, “There is no ban order; it is the local administration that has done some internal regulation to make sure the smooth movement of essential service like ambulances.”

It is pertinent to mention that there were reports stating that Tonga has been banned in Sopore town.

A local newspaper had quoted Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Sopore, Parvaiz Sajad saying that: “This decision was taken for the betterment of the town, especially for the smooth movement of traffic.”