Gopal Sharma
Despite remaining at the fore front always for political rivalries, open clashes of political activists and being hub of political activities in border area of entire Poonch-Rajouri belt, Mendhar constituency has mainly suffered in terms of development in view of political wrangles. With the result, some areas were totally neglected while some got a little attention from their respective leaders. While this area remained stronghold of National Conference for long time but presently it is represented by PDP leader Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan. This is his third term as MLA. He got elected for the first time in 1977 as Independent candidate and then went into NC. He was re-elected as MLA from NC in 1982 and in 2008 he got elected as an MLA on PDP mandate.
This constituency consisting of two blocks Mendhar and Balakote has 64 Panchayats and a population of nearly 1.25 lakh whereas, number of voters is over 78,000. Mendhar has 49 Panchayats while Balakote block just 15. During 2008 Assembly elections, the PDP candidate Sarfar Rafiq Hussain Khan got elected as MLA from this constituency. Khan secured 29036 (47.63 %) votes out of 60,958 polled while his nearest rival Javed Rana from NC got 28294 (46.42 %) votes. Congress party candidate Majid Ahmed Khan secured just 1559 votes. Even today, both the parties are neck to neck in contest for the coming Assembly elections. During 2002 election Javed Rana had got elected from this segment. This time PDP has given mandate to Mahroof Khan from Mendhar.
Excelsior team which had extensive survey of this constituency talked to cross section of people and gathered public opinion about their MLA, progress and development initiated by him and his role in minimizing their problems. The feed back regarding development works collected has indicated that majority of the issues remained unresolved and people’s sufferings have aggravated in last six years. While those close to MLA claimed that this constituency being represented by the MLA from Opposition, has been ignored by ruling NC-led coalition and funds were not released for many development works, the general public in pockets held their representative responsible for his failure to perform up to their satisfaction. But it is also fact that being seriously sick for long, Mr Khan could not deliver to the public as per his capacity.
Majority of the people from various pockets of Mendhar, including Balnoi, Sagra, Ghani, Saruti, Chhatral, Kalaban, Harni, Gursai, Ari, Salwa, Uchhad, Balakote and Dhar Galoon projected almost same issues like worst condition of roads, PHCs and Health Sub Centers/ Dispensaries, schools, water and power supply, ration supply and condition of lanes and drainage system in Mendhar town. While many schools in remote areas remain closed as teachers do not go there, in most of the schools there is shortage of staff. There is no proper monitoring of schools by the seniors and many school buildings are in shambles. Even some new ones constructed under SSA, have turned dilapidated due to sub-standard work. In some cases inquiries were ordered but no body was punished for such lapses which have posed risk to the life of poor students of the area. The hapless students are made to sit in unsafe buildings. Many roads under PMGSY were abandoned adding to the sufferings of the people while NREGA works were shown initiated merely on papers but where such works were executed, the workers remained unpaid. Job cards for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act were issued at many places but most of the job cards were held by Sarpanchs or the Panchayat secretaries.
Sarpanch Nazir Hussain from Deri Dabsi (LoC) village projected the miseries of the people who reside on that side of the fencing. He said there are nearly 2000 souls who are living in pre-1947 condition. There is no road, water supply and even power in the area. There is 4 kms tractor road where one can not even walk with ease. It was also abandoned by RDD. People reach there on foot. The people have been forced to drink water from a local pond even today. The water is dirty but people are hapless. There is no hand pump provided so far. The Army some times provides water at its will. There is a dispensary at the village but it remains closed. BMO Mendhar was informed about it several times but no body cares. There is one Middle and one Primary school. Primary school is lying closed for the last many months while Middle schools functions but only two teachers are in place and they come by turn. The future of the students of the area is dark. People have to depend on kerosene oil lamps and candles as electricity is a rare commodity for them. There is no ration depot and people have to fetch ration from Mendhar which is nearly 20 kms away. They can come and go only between 8 am and 4 pm because Army gate remains closed beyond 4 pm. In case of emergency, the people remain struck for hours together at the gate, requesting Army men to open the gates. Some times, the intervention of SDM and Tehsildar is sought. The MLA never visited their village having nearly 550 votes.
During shelling this area is most affected and people want to be settled at the safer place. About half a dozen cattle died during shelling and three houses damaged but no compensation was provided to the people by the administration. “We have requested the SDM and even DC several times to resettle these villagers some where else but they have not taken such decision so far,” the Sarpanch maintained.
The locals from Mendhar town said that people are fed up with the worst traffic jams. Encroachment is the main cause for it. Moreover, in the absence of bye-pass, non-deployment of traffic police men in the area, lack of sufficient parking space/ stand for Tata Sumos and matadors has compounded this problem. The buses on many routes have stopped plying and there was urgent need to start bus service again. The Sumo operators have created mess and there is no defined rate list. They charge from the passengers at their will. There was strong need to define the rate lists to various destinations.
Naib Sarpanch Mohd Aslam Khan said that town is worst victim of Government apathy. It needs immediate attention from the Government. He said there is no drainage system in the town and main market. During rainy season water generally enters into shops and houses and causes damage to the public property. There is only one petrol pump in the town and when diesel/ petrol get exhausted, the people are left high and dry. There was urgent need to provide another petrol pump in the area. There is no sports stadium and children park in the entire town. In the absence of street light many thefts have taken place even in the main market. There is shortage of staff at SDH Mendhar and specialist doctors are not available. Number of ration depots is just three in the town and at least three more ration depots are needed to be opened. Moreover, ration is never provided in time. The kerosene quota provided to the local depots mostly goes in black and is consumed in vehicles, especially matadors and there is no proper check.
One Mohd Shakoor Mir said that in last five years no development is visible in the area. He said roads are totally neglected. Over 90 % PMGSY roads have been abandoned due to litigation or neglect on the part of R&B. Power supply position is grim. Power is made available hardly for 8-10 hours while most of time it remain shut. Under RDD hardly any work is noticed. Work under MGNREGA are merely on papers. In some areas where works are executed, workers have not been paid their wages. He alleged that Mendhar has been totally neglected by the NC led Government deliberately.
At Mankote one Sita Devi and another Rakesh Kumar however, said that road condition has been improved and there is adequate staff in the schools. They also expressed satisfaction on the functioning of local PHC and staff there. They said water supply is also satisfactory but power curtailment was still a problem. One Mohd Murtaza at Mankote however, disclosed that subject lecturer were not available in the Govt Higher Secondary School, Mankote. Even after upgradation of the school Hindi lecturer was not provided. Some other subject teachers are also not available. Nazir Ahmed Choudhary, Sarpanch Ghani in Sagra area alleged that power supply in the area is in bad condition. If the transformer goes out of order it is not replaced for months. People are forced to pay flat rates of the power tariff. One transformer has been kept by concerned Lineman at his own house at Sagra. There is no water supply and the people are dependent on local Bawali. There are about 2400 voters in the area but most of them are fed up with the present regime and the representative. There are two Panchayats Lower Ghani and Ghani Darati. Army helps a lot to the people of this belt. They even provide water to the people of this border belt. In case of emergency, they provide their vehicles as well. There are two health sub centres, but mostly they remain closed as no staffer attends. The people posted there have access and political patronage and the officers do not take action against them. No body bothers about public and village Panchayat members. Road condition is not good up to Balnoi from Mankote. Road is kutcha at many places. It is not properly maintained. The poor workers have not been paid for NREGA works for the last one and half years. VLW says, “Abhi Pesa Nahin Aya, Jab Ayega Mil Jayega.” Many teachers have turned as contractors and they are engaged in construction of many schools under SSA. Many sub-standard buildings have come up posing risk to the life of their children but administration is missing. In this area, there is Middle school being constructed under SSA and Rs 8 lakh was withdrawn in connivance but there is no building on the spot. SDM or CEO should hold inquiry into the matter. Leharh is the village in Ghani Panchayat where this building was sanctioned, he added.
Sarpanch Kalaban, Mohd Sadiq Choudhary (a retired ZEO) also narrated the issues of the public. He said payments worth Rs 25 lakh of poor workers under NREGA in his Panchayat were pending for the last one year. The workers should be paid within 15 days as per norms but nobody bothered. In adjoining two Panchayats payments worth Rs 50 lakh are pending. Half of the Chhatral-Kalaban road has been improved but from Chunga ahead up to Pathana Tir it is in worst condition. Water supply is also not satisfactory while power cuts have made life of the people miserable. Two transformers in the area have gone out of order and they have not been replaced. It takes about one month time to replace a transformer to the PDD authorities here but they will charge tariff for no service under flat rate. No body bothers about public plight. Teachers mostly do not attend their duty sincerely and this is the problem in entire tehsil. There are nearly 2800 voters in the area and most of them are divided. They are satisfied with the pace of development in the area.
From Harni area one Mohd Sayaf Khan also projected the problems of power and water. He said ration is not provided to the public and if it reaches the depot it is provided in the last week of the month. BPL quota arrives some times but APL is not made available. There is Kool in Harni area and Rs 36 lakh were shown spent for maintenance and repair but no restoration has been witnessed. In education sector worst is the condition. Many schools remain closed or teachers hardly visit. In many schools no sufficient staff is deployed. Mid Day meals is generally not provided to the children. The condition of Mendhar -Harni- Surankote road and other links is not good. There is no monitoring of Anganwadi Centres. One Zakir Hussain from Keri Galuta said that for weeks together power remains shut. Road from BG to Harni is in bad shape. Condition of Dhar Galoon PHC is not good as no adequate staff is provided there. Seed and fertilizers is not made available to the farmers of the area. For LPG cylinders Rs 40 are charged extra from the consumers. There is no check by the CAPD staff. In Balakote area people are not provided ration supply and they have to mainly depend on private shops. The army has occupied land of the villagers in the area but they have not been paid rent for the last four years. Rates of Tata Sumos have not been fixed and they are looting the people at their will. There is urgent public demand to set up Trauma Centre at BG but the Government has not taken cognizance of the matter. Sub Standard works have been done in many Govt schools of the area and the Government should hold inquiry from a team of experts in the field and the guilty should be punished. Abandoned roads under PMGSY be completed at the earliest, he added.
MLA Mendhar, Sardar Rafiq Hussain Khan when contacted expressed his satisfaction over the pace of development works in the area and said that even being in opposition he managed to upgrade nearly 40 Govt schools and open about 60 new Primary schools in his Mendhar constituency. The MLA said that he got building of the Govt Degree College sanctioned and it is ready. The college was sanctioned here during Mufti’s regime and Ghulam Nabi Azad had laid foundation stone. Mini-Secretariat with the cost of Rs 4.64 crore is nearing completion at Mendhar. Apart from this 40-45 Water Supply Schemes/ Tube wells were got sanctioned. Nearly Rs 150 crore was spent in last five years for these schemes and nearly 70 % population was covered and provided drinking water.
Mr Khan claimed that almost every Panchayat was provided Tube well and in some area two tube wells were provided. At Mankote two tube wells, three at Gursai, two at Niaka Majari, two at Ghani, two at Kottan, one at Dhar Galoon, one at Balnoi, one at Harni and so on. Under RGGVY and other electrification schemes nearly 95 % of the area has been covered. Electric poles in all the areas have been provided and power supply ensured. Some funds under his CDF and PADP and BRGF were also got sanctioned for improving power supply. About 73 roads under PMGSY worth Rs 100 crore were taken up in Mendhar in last three years but it is also fact that many roads could not be completed due to rivalries and litigations. The contractors have abandoned these roads.
Many roads under NABARD worth Rs 150 crore also got sanctioned in last five years. He claimed that new SDH building worth Rs 4.5 crore at Mendhar got constructed with his efforts. One bridge at Chhajla worth Rs 8 crore also got sanctioned and completed in record time. One PHC at Suiyan and nine Health Sub Centres got sanctioned in the constituency. One TRC complex with the cost of Rs 5 crore got sanctioned at Mendhar and the building stood completed. There is provision to construct by-pass at Mendhar so that traffic congestion and problem of traffic jams is minimized at Mendhar town. For bus stand the site is being identified and special request has been made to administration to have separate stand for Tata Sumos which are over 2000 in number. Two model villages at Chhunga and Gangiot were got sanctioned this year and a proposal to construct sports stadium at Mendhar has been sent to the Government. Besides this 32 High Schools and 12 Higher Secondary Schools under RAMSA have been cleared for the area.
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