Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Mar 11: It has been more than nine years since the foundation stone for the construction of the bridge in South Kashmir’s Shamshipora village of Anantnag was laid but alleged political indifference and the lackadaisical approach of the authorities has put the project in limbo.
The locals of over a dozen villages including Shamsipora, Frisal, Arwani, Redwani and Yaripora alleged that lackadaisical attitude of the authorities has shaken their political faith as they feel they have been deliberately ignored.
“If the Government has completed other development works which were taken up along with our bridge, then why is the construction work on the bridge lingering on for last several years? Some of the politicians are not happy with the people of this area and they are, in a way, punishing,” said a local, Muhammad Ramzan.
He said everyday hundreds of people risk their lives by boarding overcrowded rowboats. “People risk their lives to cross the Jhelum as a fifteen minute journey would take 2-3 hours on other alternate routes,” said Ramzan. The locals said although these villages are only two kilometers away from the Anantnag Town, residents have to travel 15-20 kilometers in order to commute on daily basis.
An official at Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) Limited said that land dispute and the devastating floods of 2014 severely dented the project. “Soon after we started the construction work a land dispute emerged between different land owners. Then the devastating floods of 2014 completely derailed the project. The construction work is in the mid-way and by the end of May this year the construction work will be completed,” he added.
The official further said they have all the required raw material and they will soon pick up the pending construction work. “We import raw material from states like Gujarat which was also hit due to floods and adverse weather conditions but we have now enough material to complete the construction work,” he added.
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