Nishikant Khajuria
For the people of Gool-Arnas Assembly constituency, return of normalcy from more than a decade long militancy in the area has yet to show signs of development, which is apparently moving here at the snail’s pace.
Whether it is the road connectivity, Health services, Educational facilities or other developmental works, the slow pace and poor quality of works in maximum projects tell the state of affairs in this remote constituency, being represented by Congress leader and MoS Revenue (Independent Charge), Aijaz Ahmad Khan for the second consecutive term since 2002.
During the last 10 years, the constituency has no doubt witnessed developmental works, particularly the spread of road networks under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and some locals give all credit to the sitting MLA for the same, however, on the other hand, critiques of Aijaz Ahmad Khan mince no words in deflating these claims with the allegation that commission culture by the concerned Government officers was eating up all the projects, particularly those under PMGSY and MGNREGA.
Model village Buddhan is classic example of the developmental works done in the area. There are 14 solar lights installed in the hamlet but only two are functional while two big iron poles, meant for erecting a gate on entrance of the village, are still lying on the roadside for the last more than five years. The Government High School Buddhan has more than 650 students but only two teachers and a Headmaster for running this institution, which was established in 1974, informed Mohd Shafi, a roadside shopkeeper.
As far as Health and Medical infrastructure is concerned, the Primary Health Centre in this modal village is being run by a Medical Assistant as there is not even as single doctor for attending the patients. “Not only Buddhan but even from Saldar to Lincha area, which comprises five Panchayats having around 20 thousand population, there is no doctor in the Primary Health Centres here,” said Parvez, another local.
The prevailing condition in this remote area can be gauged from the fact that the main transformer at village Dallu-A got damaged on March 14 thus snapping power supply to the hamlet but there was no action by the concerned authorities to restore the supply for more than three months.
According to the locals, Buddhan was declared a model village during the previous regime of Mufti Mohd Sayeed following which a community hall and shopping complex were constructed there besides installation of some solar lights, construction of lanes, drains and announcements of more developmental works. Rs 1.25 crores were then spent on these construction works and thereafter no one knows right from villagers to administration about the fate of pending projects under model village, said Imtiaz while pointing towards incomplete structures of Panchayat Ghar and CAPD Store.
The roads under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) are virtually lying defunct owing to no metalling and black topping. “Twelve kilometer long Chaklas to Saldar road under PMGSY has not yet been metalled till date despite completion of cutting and earth work in 2008 while work on 26 km long Thuroo-Buddhan road, which was started in 2010, has been stopped midway since last year for the reasons best known to the concerned authorities and the infamous contractor,” said Keshav Singh, a social activist.
All roads under PMGSY, including Sangaldhan to Ind, Sangaldhan to Katharka, Kantha to Mahaking, Harog to Karara, Dalwa to Tharka, Gambiri to Gujjar Gali etc are still fair weather and have not been macadamized, said Mohd Hanif, Sarpanch of Fambrote and Shamim Akhtar, Sarpanch of Thatharka.
On the other hand, Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Sarpanch of Panchayat Ind and Altaf Hussain, Sarpanch of Dharam-A, claimed that it was all due to the efforts of sitting MLA Aijaz Ahmad Khan that the constituency has witnessed a series of developmental works, particularly road networks in interiors of the area. “If we compare the present state of this constituency with the picture 10 years ago, the contribution of Aijaz Khan can be well judged,” they added.
However, not only roads but the state of medical facilities and education is also in shambles as all schools are under staff despite good strength of students while the maximum health centres are being run by either Medical Assistant or Nursing Orderlies. Government High School Shaswa has only two teachers for more than 400 students there while Primary School Shaswa is being run by a single teacher. Similarly, girls Middle School Ind has only two teachers while Ashmaq Bara Kund High School has four teachers and Government High School Dheeda only three teachers.
Further, despite the blessings of natural beauty, the scenic areas of this hilly constituency are missing on tourist map due to lackluster approach of Government machinery at the helm of affairs and local MLA.
These areas, which include picturesque Dagan Top, Tatta Pani and a number of other attractive spots where the people would love to visit for enjoying the natural beauty, have not been developed for attracting the tourist. Inadequate road connectivity, no accommodation facilities, almost negligible infrastructure and no sincere efforts to develop these spots as tourist destinations are the reasons behind missing of these areas on tourism map.
Dagan Top has a great potential of attracting tourists like Patnitop but the area is still virgin owing to zero facilities there, particularly the extremely poor road connectivity. The scenic meadows around the Dagan Top area offer huge potential to prop up tourism with all attractions but there is no infrastructure development by the Government. Tatta Pani at Sangaldhan is another attraction of tourists visiting this place for taking a bath at this natural spring of hot water (Tatta Pani) due to which all skin ailments and joint pains are believed to be cured. A number of people from Jammu Kashmir and also from other States visit this spring for holy dip but there are zero facilities for stay and other arrangements for the visiting people. The four kilometer link road from Sangaldhan to Tatta Pani has never been repaired for the last 35 years, rued Jagar Singh, a local social activist.
According to MLA Aijaz Ahmad Khan, he left no stone unturned to develop this constituency, which was deprived of the required attention due to eruption of militancy for around two decades. “During my tenure since 2002, two Government degree colleges each at Gool and Dharmari, two ITIs, new Receiving Stations at Sangaldhan, Gool and Arnas, Primary Schools at each Morha (hamlet) and high school in almost all the villages were opened while the number of Higher Secondary Schools has been raised from two to eight,” he said.
Further, Mr Khan added, power and water supply has been provided to more than seventy percent villages while this access was merely 30 percent before 2002. Similarly, more than 60 road projects under PMGSY, District Sector, State Sector and NABARD have been initiated during my tenure for providing connectivity to even remote areas, he said and explained that second phase of PMGSY was not started in hilly areas of J&K due to which all the roads under this scheme had not been metalled.
Admitting shortage of teachers in schools and doctors as well as Para Medical Staff in Health institutions, the MLA explained that maximum staff in his constituency was outsider, who remained least interested to serve the people in remote areas thus creating the trouble.
About Tourism potential of the area, Aijaz Khan said that due to the militancy, no major steps could be taken earlier by the Government for developing the spots like Dagan Top, Tatta Pani etc but he had taken the initiative in this regard also and work on creating accommodation facilities like TRC, view points etc has been started at these spots besides improving road connectivity.
Follow our WhatsApp channel