Haresh Singh
Located very close to heart of the City, Jammu West Assembly segment can very well be compared with any rural segment as far as plethora of problems faced by the inhabitants of various localities that constitute the second largest Assembly segment in Jammu and Kashmir were concerned. The bumpy and congested roads always full of traffic jams, old water pipes and electric transformers laid years back when population of the localities was one-third from the present, acute insanitation and no initiative by invisible MLA Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, an expelled BJP leader, has made lives of the people miserable.
Problems of the people are compounded when the summer is at its peak that leads to massive power cuts and fluctuation of voltage and when Civil Secretariat shifts to Jammu, the winter capital of the State witnessed huge traffic jams.
Spread over 1.5 lakh voters, which makes Jammu West the second largest constituency in Jammu and Kashmir along after Jammu Cantonment, the Assembly segment has various prominent localities like Talab Tillo, Canal Road, Bakshi Nagar, Rehari Colony, Subash Nagar Sarwal, New Plots, Karan Nagar and Janipura, all of which were full of problems like acute scarcity of water and power, massive traffic congestions on roads, insanitation etc. Above all, the people’s grudge is that there is no one to listen to their problems as their sitting MLA has gone incommunicado and Corporators ceased to exist after 2010 as the Government failed to hold Municipal elections.
“There is no one to even listen to our problems but to say of addressing them. Our MLA never visited our localities after winning the election in 2008 riding on the wave of Shri Amarnath land agitation. Especially after Prof Chaman Lal Gupta was expelled by the BJP, he virtually remained invisible. The officers are not ready to listen. Therefore, our problems remained unsolved and continued to grow with every passing day,’’ observed most of the residents in the areas of Jammu West toured extensively by this correspondent to know the five and half years Report Card of the local MLA.
They were of the view that almost all localities falling in Jammu West Assembly constituency were located within five kilometers distance from Jammu City but going by their problems they felt like living in remote rural areas with frequent power cuts, voltage fluctuation, water shortage and supply from the pipes laid several decades back when population was just one-third of the present and congested and bumpy roads everywhere that always caused huge traffic jams especially from Jewel Chowk to Talab Tillo and New Plots to Janipura Chowk.
“And, there are no chances of respite as there was no plan with the Government to overcome our problems in the absence of our MLA taking up the problems with the concerned authorities”, the residents said. There was a common feeling among the people that the Government should prepare a roadmap for Jammu West Assembly constituency to set the things right or a day will come when traffic will be choked. There had been a proposal with the Government for construction of fly-over from New Plots to Shakuntla Theatre covering parts of BC Road but it was sabotaged by the politicians. Then the Government came out with another proposal of widening the BC Road but it too was not taken up. “It seems no development has taken place in Jammu West and things, instead of improving, have gone from bad to worse,’’ they lamented.
One of the youths Sanjay Sharma of New Plots opined that sitting MLA Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, a seasoned BJP leader, who had served as Union Minister for Defence and Civil Aviation in Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government but was ousted along with six other MLAs from the party, has hardly come up to the expectations of the people, mainly because of the old age.
The general complaint of the people is that the sitting MLA rarely visits his constituency and never attends to the chronic problems projected during past over five years. The people feel “neglected” as most of those interviewed stressed further that there is no road-map for improving condition of their constituency even in the coming years.
The widening of BC Road as well as Janipura road was yet to see light of the day to cope up with the critical traffic congestion problem which was complained by all residents of this locality. The sanctioned proposal for fly-over has been “cancelled” as the demand was not project properly by the sitting MLA. The condition of the road from New Plots bazaar right up to Roarian-Di-Chapri, then up to High Court Chowk and from there on to Janipura Main Chowk, is worst.
The people of New Plots are demanding flyovers from Rehari Chungi and Jewel Chowk and other areas. The proposal has been thrown into the cold storage even though sometimes back, the Government had announced the commitment for providing new flyovers. The people lamented that there is no proposal for fly-over for Janipura to Ambphalla or even direct to Jewel Chowk.
“Not only our own MLA but even the Congress and other parties remained mum over the flyover issue even during the Assembly session. The issue of great public importance was not project before any authority in the Government, a result of which it failed to see light of the day,’’ the people said.
Dr Sahil Pandoh of New Plots asserted that the MLA did not pay visit in this constituency, may be, due to his health problem. He never raised the issues of public importance inside or outside the Assembly, Pandoh regretted.
The residents felt that all the dream projects of the Jammu West Assembly constituency have been put in cold storage and there is hardly any development work visible on the ground. Up- gradation of Janipura Power Grid Station, fly-overs, laying of new water pipes to cater to water needs for ever increasing population in the localities, new transformers to cater to electricity needs and voltage fluctuation etc in New Plots, Sarwal, Rehari Colony, Subash Nagar, Toph Sherkhanian, Bakshi Nagar, Canal Road, Janipura and Talab Tillo remained a distant dream for the people.
Anil Gupta of Shant Nagar, Janipura alleged that the people are facing shortage of timely supply of ration items, sugar and kerosene in the area. He also demanded increase in CAPD depots in Shant Nagar, Ram Vihar, Indira Colony and Excelsior Lane of Janipura area.
Narrating the grievances, Gupta said that drainage system, pre-mixing work in Bhawani Nagar, Khajuria Mohalla, Shant Nagar and Paloura Phase I of Janipura area which is about three to four kilometers is deplorable and required immediate repair.
The State cabinet took a decision in 2008 to establish Paloura Degree College which was started in University Old Campus in 2009 but till date the land has not been acquired for establishing College at its original place to benefit the local students of Jammu West constituency.
The residents strongly demanded an additional transformer for Shant Nagar and Ram Vihar to bifurcate the load. The upgrading of Janipura receiving station is fore most demand of the people of the Janipura.
Sanyam Pandoh of Sarwal, a Law student demanded a CBI or Vigilance enquiry into what he called Rs 132 corers ERA sewerage works describing it is a big scandal. “PWD, JMC, ERA have also made the life of people miserable and with zero benefit to public at large,’’ he said.
To a question, Kiran Verma , a Government employee residing at Lakkar Mandi, Janipura said that youth want development and employment but nothing came during last more than five years stint of the present MLA. “We are very much dejected with the performance of Prof Gupta,’’ she said.
Parveen Gupta, a businessman of Rehari Colony and also resident of the same area said that the business has been adversely affected with the frequent traffic jams outside the shops. On being asked about the solution of traffic jam, he said that if the Chowk is widened then the traffic congestion can be overcome. On a question of MLA’s performance in his area, he said the sitting MLA is dynamic personality and he has done some useful works in his area. He cited the example of Jhanj Ghar near Hari Mandir, Rehari Colony where renovation/up gradation of work is done by sitting MLA. He said he will surely and definitely vote in favour of Prof Gupta if he contests the coming Assembly elections again.
However, Vijay Tandon of Bakshi Nagar revealed that the sitting MLA of the constituency has not come up to their expectations and the problems of the constituency compounded during his tenure.“ Roads, water and electricity supply remained major problem in the areas. In addition there is no play ground,’’ he added.
He said that people of the constituency may not re-elect the sitting MLA this time. He was of the opinion that he would like to see new face and would prefer to vote for BJP if the party changed its candidate.
The shopkeeper Association, Canal Road as well as residents of Krishna Nagar attacked the Municipal Corporation for not cleaning the sewerage (nallah opposite GGM Science College). A group of shopkeepers and residents namely Vinay, Sunil, Rakesh and Ashok Gupta who had gathered at the spot said that it is better to make new bridge over the nallah and drainage should be re-constructed so that this problem is solved once and for all.
Vijay Chopra, general secretary, Bakshi Nagar Shopkeeper Association said that “our main demand is starting of Sulabh toilet, which is closed for one year now other than drinking water and electricity problem.
The residents of Ajit colony extension, Welfare Committee, Gol Gujral, Talab Tillo, Jammu under the leadership of B L Koul, president and Harbans Singh senior vice president raised the burning issues of their area. On top of the agenda was problem of power curtailment and low voltage in the locality.
They demanded a playground in the area, which, they said, is a hub of talented hockey players and other sports but due to lack of playground, the talent of the players remained unutilized. The welfare committee has requested that the concerned authorities should be directed to identify a playground in the locality.
When contacted Chaman Lal Gupta, sitting MLA informed that there are 26 Wards and 1,88,000 voters approximately in Jammu west constituency wherein 29 community halls were constructed/renovated and eight are under-construction from his Constituency Development Fund of Rs 5.70 crores with an estimated cost between Rs 25 to 30 lakh. Seven Sulabh toilets with the estimated cost of Rs 15 to 18 lakh were constructed including one at Bakshi Nagar hospital, Janipura, Jalebi More, Shakti Nagar and other places.
Eight parks having the cost of Rs 40-50 lakh were got renovated at various places including 15 small parks having the construction cost of Rs 2-3 lakh approximately including one at Shiv Nagar. Construction of 10 tutti bathrooms for ladies in different wards (each bathrooms having the construction costs of Rs 3-5 lakhs was done, Prof Gupta said.
Three Shamshan Ghats (cremation grounds) were renovated out of 5 and pending two are to be renovated in the current year with improved water facilities, the MLA said.
Prof Gupta said 5.70 crore Constituency Development Fund was provided, out of which one bridge near AG office, Shakti Nagar was constructed, a wood depot was provided at Shamshan Ghat and other public utility works got executed.
To overcome the water shortage, Prof Gupta asserted that nine tube wells were constructed including seven overhead tanks with the help of ERA department in different wards (each tube well having the construction cost of Rs 85.00 lakhs each and construction costs of over head of Rs 1.50 crores each).
He said as many as 135 deserved families got the allowances for construction of their houses (each family got Rs 3.00 lakhs) and allowances for 40 more families is in the pipeline.
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