Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar on Tuesday said that the incumbent administration has forsaken the people of Srinagar.
This he, according to the NC spokesperson, said while presiding over a meeting of the constituency In Charges of district Srinagar and other provincial functionaries here at the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha, Srinagar. Those in attendance included AGS Dr. Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Tanvir Sadiq, Irfan Shah, Shameema Firdous, Ahsan Pardesi, Salman Ali Sagar, Muhammad Syed Akhoon, Er. Sabiya Qadri, Peer Afaq Ahmed, block presidents and functionaries from YNC and women’s wing.
Referring to the absence of elected representatives, Sagar said, “Working their way through the hierarchies and multiple sections in different departments to have their issues addressed is a tedious process. The responsibilities are, more often than not, passed on by officials. The smart city mission was slated to transform Srinagar into an eco-friendly, resilient, and socio-economically vibrant city that celebrates its natural and cultural heritage, creating harmony and opportunities for all. But in reality, the real issues facing our people in terms of savage treatment, traffic management, infrastructure buildings, clean water, power outages, and employment generation continue to remain unaddressed. The much-touted exercise of Smart City has been reduced to painting walls and realigning footpaths.”
“There is no accountability on the ground; the fate of the vital projects initiated during the NC-led government has been put into limbo. Not even a single penny is being spent on the upgradation of road infrastructure in the Shaher-e-Khaas areas,” Sagar said.
“Srinagar has conventionally suffered on the development front whenever NC was not in power. We are aware of the development needs of the city which is the face of our region, however, the administrative rule post-2019 didn’t rise up to the demands of the historical city. Nevertheless, when in power the party will come up with a comprehensive plan for all-round development of the city and its people,” he said.
He said that the administration has completely failed in dispensing its basic duties. “People are feeling the heat of the ongoing rice crisis created by the Government of India’s decision to reduce Kashmir’s allotment quota. The Phased flood management plan on River Jhelum despite huge budgetary allocations and approvals is yet to pick up on the ground. The work was supposed to be done on war footing seeing the devastation the 2014 deluge wrecked on the entire populace. But the government seems to have dumped the mega project,” he said adding, “The annual desiltation and dredging of the small rivulets, ponds, swamps, irrigation canals and lagoons in Srinagar and elsewhere is not on the to-do list of the government. The entire population of Srinagar and other low-lying areas across Kashmir are living on a knife-edge.”
“It is not surprising to see Srinagar being adjudged the most inhabitable city in the country according to the government’s ease of living index released a few days ago. The rank of Jammu city on the liveability index is at 27th spot as compared to Srinagar which has been downgraded to 49th spot. The much-touted idea of transforming Srinagar city into a smart city has not picked up momentum and is yet only confined to papers,” he said.
“The concerned wings of the government have miserably failed to address the challenges hindering the daily lives of the urban populace of Srinagar in the first place, not to speak of transforming it. The idea of transforming a city partially inundated, dotted with potholes, worn out roads; bereft of any denudation and up-to-date waste disposal mechanism seems to be farfetched,” he added.
