Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 2: The J&K National Conference today rued the Government apathy towards houseboats and Donga owners, saying the administration is awaiting disaster by not ensuring swift repairs of the dilapidated house boats.
Expressing concern over the plight of houseboats dwellers and owners, party’s general secretary Ali Mohd Sagar said that he has been contacted by various houseboat dwellers, which he said are living on shore on rent due to the dilapidating condition of their house boats.
“I have been told that various houseboats in Dal, Nigeen and the main course of Jhelum are in decrepit condition awaiting disaster. The owners are not in a condition to do the necessary repairs due to unavailability of resources. On the other hand, the absence of a major dockyard where houseboats should have ideally gone through yearly repairs and checks, has also added to the woes of houseboats owners. The families who own such houseboats, dongas are facing penury due to the hit taken by the Tourism sector since 2019. The two successive lockdowns have compounded their woes. The families are not even able to submit monthly electricity and water bills. Many families whose dongas and house boats have sunk or are on the brink of it, are living in hutments or in rented accommodations. So far the administration hasn’t come to their rescue,” he said.
Asking the administration to come to the rescue of such dongas and houseboats dwellers and owners, Sagar said the houseboats need yearly repairs and would cost thousands of rupees. He further said that much touted dock-yard facility commissioned by the Government for the facilitation of yearly repairs for house boats hasn’t been made fully functional.
“The house boats haven’t benefited from such initiative on account of the administrative inertia and lack of resources. The need of the hour is to make such a facility functional. In wake of the penury, the house boats owners are going through, the Government should come up with a target group package for house boats and donga owners,” Sagar added.
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