Suhail Bhat
Pampore, Feb 15: The flood-hit court complex is awaiting restoration for last five years in South Kashmir’s Pampore area with lawyers holding Government’s lax attitude responsible for the delay.
Although the restoration started last week, the work is moving on a slow pace. “We want speedy restoration of the complex as we have been waiting for the facility for last five years,” Wajid Malik, a member of the Pampore Bar Association told the Excelsior.
He, however, lamented that the Government has not included construction of office chambers for the lawyers in the proposal. “Office chambers are important for us. Now that the project has been lingering on for many years, they should construct the chambers as well,” Malik said.
Presence of the High tension wire near the facility is also worrying the lawyers and they have demanded its relocation. “Since large numbers of people visit the court every day, the presence of electric wire can prove fatal anytime,” a lawyer said.
In 2012, the new facility was constructed by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Corporation Company with an estimated cost of Rs 2.40 crores. However, the building was hit by floods a year after its construction and was left unattended.
Following the floods, Court was shifted back to the old building which is cramped and lacks basic facilities like parking, accommodation. “It is close to the highway and there are always traffic jams outside the court which discourages us to do our work properly” Irfan, a lawyer, said.
During the floods not only infrastructure was damaged, but vital documents were lost, said lawyers adding that it led to many problems.
They said that they have repeatedly raised the issue of renovation with concerned officials, but the Government was not sincere about their demands. “We are operating from a rented building from the past four years. Not only lawyers but litigators are facing immense stress due to lack of space,” he said.
Mushtaq Ahmad, Executive Engineer R&B Pulwama, said that the renovation work is going on at even pace and they would soon complete it. “We have simultaneously started the work on all the three components: boundary wall, the main building, and the side building,” he said.
Asked about the construction of the office chamber, he said: “That is not included in the estimate. We have no issues in constructing them if given the contract.”
Tehsildar Pampore, Ishtiyaq Mohidin, said that he would raise the issues with the concerned officials.
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