Professional Artists who beautified blank spaces and walls with graffiti artwork in parts of Kashmir capital Srinagar under the Srinagar Smart City Project have been wandering from pillar to post to get their dues.
In December last year, the Government hired several professional Artists to paint artwork on walls depicting different species of birds, Kashmiri culture, and other things. Over one dozen Artists beautified the walls in parts of Srinagar including MA Road, Ram Bag, Lal Chowk, and Dalgate.
“We were promised payment as soon as work is started but even after finishing our assignments, no payments have been made. The officials resort to dilly dally tactics,” a group of Artists told news agency Kashmir News Trust.
The Artists said that after approval from Srinagar Smart City Limited, they got a work order from ‘Musepective India Pvt Limited’-a Delhi based non-government company. “The work order mentions Rs 46 will be paid to an Artist per square feet. We did our job professionally and yet we are not being paid,” they said.
“We are now being threatened of losing our future contracts in case we continue to press for the payment,” they alleged.
Pertinently, some works carried out under Srinagar Smart City Project had drawn flak when netizens alleged that money is being wasted for no reason.
Artists at many places in Srinagar especially at Regal Chowk and outside General Post Office painted roads with some designs. “The painted portions of the road were barricaded much discomfiture to the commuters. Thanks to the inclement weather of Kashmir and its rains, the paintings vanished and barricades were subsequently lifted.” (KNT)