Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, June 21: The New Type Primary Health Centre (NTPHC) building that was under construction for a decade at Pyerpora village in Hygam area of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district has fallen into ruins before being put to use by the Government.
Nearly a decade has passed since the construction work on the building began, but the executive agency has left it to decay citing the lack of funds. The building lies derelict and abandoned. The walls have developed cracks, plants and shrubs have grown all over it and plaster has also peeled off.
The locals complained that over a dozen villages are facing health care problems as tertiary care hospitals are overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. “The Government is setting up health centre at Panchayat level, but neglecting existing structures awaiting completion for a long time. It would mitigate the entire healthcare crisis in the area,” Abdul Samad, a local said, adding they are now pinning hopes on the new administration.
The locals claimed the building is nowhere near completion despite Government releasing around 80-per cent of the funds to the Jammu and Kashmir Construction Company that is executing the project. Out of the estimated Rs 1.76 crores, they said, the Government has already released Rs 1.36 crores against the work done. “All the public money has been wasted by the non-serious attitude of the executive agency,” locals said, adding the government should first investigate the matter and take the erring officials to task.
The locals said that the condition of the buildings clearly depicts the seriousness of the department towards the healthcare of remote areas. “The condition of the building stands as testimony to the state of affairs in the Health Department. The structure has decayed before being put to use. What about the funds that went into its making?” another local asked?
The buildings could have improved the education infrastructure in the area, but official apathy marred the project. “This would have uplifted the healthcare of our area and reduced its dependence on tertiary care hospitals. We have a deficiency of healthcare here with children and expectant mother being the worst affected,” Abdul Rashid, a local said.
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Imam Din, told Excelsior that they have taken up the matter with JKPCC. “I visited the health centre some three months back and wrote immediately to the JKPCC. They attributed the delay in its completion to the scarcity of funds,” he said.
Asked about the dilapidated condition of the under-construction building, he said: “We have sought details from the agency regarding the upkeep of the building in last 10 years.”
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