- Govt must reduce burden, not increase it: Sadiq Baqal slams fee hike
- General public, traders appeal to CM Omar Abdullah to roll back fee hike
SRINAGAR: As the wedding season approaches in Kashmir, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation’s (SMC) recent decision to hike marriage and community hall booking charges from ₹10,000 to ₹25,000 per day has triggered widespread outrage. The sudden and steep increase has placed an unbearable financial burden on lower and middle-class families already struggling due to economic distress, rising unemployment, and inflation.
Over the past few years, Kashmir’s economy has suffered multiple setbacks due to political uncertainty, the COVID-19 pandemic and low business activity. Business owners, daily wage workers, shopkeepers, transporters, artisans, weavers, auto drivers, construction laborers, farmers and small-scale traders are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. Many small businesses, particularly in retail, handicrafts and hospitality sector, are facing declining sales and are unable to repay bank loans, leading to a surge in Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).
The economic downturn has already forced many businesses to shut down or downsize, leading to mass layoffs. With limited income sources, families are struggling to afford even basic necessities, let alone the heavy costs of wedding arrangements. A typical Kashmiri wedding function lasts two to three days, with an additional day required for pre-event arrangements such as: Shafaa (traditional space for preparing Wazwan, the grand Kashmiri feast), Venue decoration and seating arrangements, Setup for lighting, sound systems and wedding essentials With the new ₹25,000 per day fee, families now face a venue expense of ₹75,000 or more—an unaffordable sum for most people in the Valley.
Veteran Trade Leader Mohammad Sadiq Baqal stated "The business community is already on the verge of collapse. Many traders, shopkeepers and vendors are struggling to even pay rent. With rising unemployment and no financial support, increasing marriage hall charges will only push more people into financial distress. This decision is not only unfair but also lacks empathy for the ongoing economic crisis."
He added "We are witnessing thousands of small businesses turning into bank defaulters due to reduced sales and zero profit margins. Even prominent businesses are struggling to stay afloat. Instead of easing financial burdens, the government is making weddings a privilege of the wealthy. If this continues, we may see a rise in unsafe, illegal wedding venues, creating bigger civic problems."
Ghulam Mohammad, a distressed commoner, voiced his frustration "How can a poor man afford ₹25,000 per day? Weddings are a once-in-a-lifetime event and now even that is becoming a luxury. The government should consider our plight instead of burdening us further. If this decision isn’t reversed, many families will be forced to either cancel or shift their weddings to inadequate spaces."
Manzoor Ahmad, a small business owner, warned "Many businesses have already turned into bank defaulters because of low sales and zero profit margins. People are losing jobs and now this additional financial burden will only worsen the situation. The administration must reconsider this move. Weddings should not become an unaffordable privilege—it is a basic social necessity in our culture."
Srinagar residents already face severe space constraints, with many families living in cramped homes on less than a marla of land. In downtown areas, multi-family households are common, with generations living under a single roof due to the scarcity of land and skyrocketing property prices. With increasing financial difficulties, many families are unable to afford adequate housing, let alone high wedding costs.
Adding to the crisis, gold prices have reached an all-time high, making it impossible for middle-class families to meet traditional wedding expectations. Many young people are already delaying marriage due to low incomes, job instability and domestic financial struggles. This latest fee hike further compounds their worries, making marriage an increasingly distant dream for many.
Amid growing public anger and frustration, citizens and trade leaders are urging J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to intervene and order a rollback of the SMC’s decision. The appeal is based on the financial distress faced by common people, especially middle-class and lower-income families. People in Srinagar and across Kashmir demand that the government prioritize public welfare over revenue generation and immediately revise the new exorbitant hall booking charges before the situation worsens.
