Srinagar, April 20 -- Normal life was partially affected in Kashmir on Monday as private transport operators went on a strike to protest the proposed expansion of Smart City bus services to district routes, with agitators warning that the move would "destroy the livelihood of thousands of families."

Private bus, Sumo, and Tavera drivers stayed off the roads and staged sit-ins at various bus stands across the valley, including in Srinagar.

"How will we feed our families if the government runs its buses on our routes? We have loans to pay and children to educate," a transporter protesting at the Batmaloo bus stand told news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS).

Another operator alleged that the administration was "deliberately pushing priva...