For the first time since militancy errupted in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed visited several parts of the Srinagar on Wednesday without any advance security preparations.
Few security persons could be seen as the Mufti toured the city for five hours with four local legislators to assess developmental work and interact with the people.
There were no diversions and traffic moved normally along routes taken by the chief minister's cavalcade.
The Mufti assessed development works in progress at 24 places where he was briefed by senior officials and workers. He also met local people who apprised him about their problems and grievances.
"This is for the first time somebody has visited us," local resident Ghulam Rasool said after the Mufti toured the Imambara at Zadibal in downtown Srinagar.
During his 15-minute stop at Zadibal, the chief minister also visited the 700-year old shrine of a saint. He asked the officials accompanying him to work on preserving the shrine as it could boost pilgrim tourism in the area. Sayeed also visited the shrine of Dastageer Sahib at Khanyar.
On the basis of complaints, he also asked Border Security Force officials to remove unnecessary barricades on the Aljan Road leading to the Institute of Medical Sciences.