Mir Farhat
Uri constituency has most difficult terrain with houses mostly scattered on hills along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan. The constituency’s main approach road over the years has improved, first due to construction of Uri-I power project, then opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road in 2005 followed and 2005 earthquake when it got much attention.
The constituency is represented by Congress leader Taj Mohi-ud-Din for last 12 years. He defeated National Conference candidate Mohammad Shafi Uri by a margin of 2000 votes in 2008 elections. Taj polled 24036 votes and Uri 22157.
The constituency despite being represented by a Cabinet Minister for past 12 years grapples with daily issues like drinking water, road connectivity, health care and crumbling educational infrastructure.
The frontier constituency is divided in three tehsils-Uri, Boniyar, and Kamalkote, with villages scattered along the mountain, connected with roads that skirt the hilly terrain.
Being the border area, Uri gets funds under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) for the overall development in addition to the routine funds from the State.
The indicators, however, of development like macadamized roads, spacious school buildings, better health care facilities are seen nowhere in the villages of Uri except the few white-washed buildings in the town.
Inhabitants across the constituency have mounting complaints against their legislator who has failed to address them.
Villagers in Silkoot area, located on the LoC, are caged inside the border fencing, which divides Uri from Pakistan. They face tremendous problems, especially to move out of their villages for their daily chores.
Ghulam Hassan Chalkoo of Silikoot says they don’t have drinking water and the link road to the area from Uri town is completely damaged.
Chalkoo said under the BADP various development works are to be carried out by the administration to provide basic amenities to the residents living along the border.
“No development work was carried in our area. We had been promised that our area will be developed under the programme even though we submitted the proposal to the administration but no funds were released,” Chalkoo said.
Roads passing through high-rise mountainous are completely damaged. Landslides during rainy season have further narrowed and damaged the roads. However, no metalling has been done on these rough roads. Even under Centre Government’s PMGSY scheme no road has been developed, he said.
“Hajipeer road has not been developed since 1947. The present legislator didn’t allow its construction. 13 villages along the road were deprived of smooth travel and movement,” the villagers said.
Funds from Haryali scheme to develop agriculture land and its allied sectors were “given to MLA’s voters.”
Government middle and primary schools in these areas lack basic facilities like drinking water and toilets, with students compelled to defecate in the open fields behind bushes. The schools also face shortage of teaching staff.
Other villagers living in Hatlanga, Soura, Mothal face similar problems.
“Owing to bad roads, passenger vehicles do not ply to our area. When they agree they overcharge us. We have to carry our patients on our shoulders,” Chalkoo said.
Residents said they don’t have a nearest health center and they have to travel to Uri headquarter for first aid and minor ailments like headache. Work on a primary health center was started last year but till now only plinth has been laid.
Due to lack of basic facilities in these border villages, some residents, reluctantly and unwillingly, have migrated to Uri town.
Not only do the residents face daily problems, they also alleged political discrimination by the MLA and the administration.
“People who do not vote for the Congress party are discriminated against by the legislator in developmental works,” they said.
Villagers in Churunda, Batagaran, Churunda, Billawadi have similar stories, which is lack of development, to narrate.
The villagers said despite a constant threat of shelling looming over them, the Government has not provided bunkers or shelters to them. They said the MLA has failed to deliver on this front despite repeated requests to him.
Churunda hamlet on the LoC has no proper road connectivity. A villager said that they take their patients to Uri on their shoulders. Army is constructing a road to the area. Administration is seen nowhere.
Mohammad Asgar, an elderly man, said the state of health care across the constituency is dismal not to talk of their village.
Garkote village is connected by a narrow, damaged road to the main Uri road. Except the first 3 kilometers blacktopped under PMGSY, the rest 8 kilometers snaking upto the last household of the village on the hilltop are completely damaged. Minor landslides have made the road a pathway at some places, with drivers dangerously maneuvering their vehicles to move ahead.
In Garkote the Tourism Department has built a view point and it has been destroyed by wind a year ago and is waiting for repairs.
In 2005, Uri was shaken by a destructive earthquake that converted most of its buildings, government and private houses as well, into rubble. The signs of the destruction are still visible in the remote areas and in Garkote.
A Government middle school was destroyed in the earthquake; it was shifted to a temporary tin shed that had been made for the earthquake victims. The big tin shed has been divided by thin ply-board sheets to make students from KG to 8th grade sit for the day in six small rooms.
Mohammad Afzal, the Headmaster of the school said: “It is not a school, students can’t study in such a bad, shabby shed. 80 children are studying here. It is so noisy.” The noise of one class penetrates the thin walls of the shed and disturbs the other students.
Some children are made to sit outside on jute mats under the trees. These small children have to bear the hot and cold weather vagaries. And when it rains they have an off day,” he said. The school also lacks drinking water and toilet.
Left ignored by the careless representatives, the villagers by their own efforts requested the legislator and the administration to build a school for their children.
“But do the people in power care for the ruled,” asked Imtiyaz Ahmad, a resident of Garkote.
“15 days ago Taj Mohi-ud-Din distributed cheques to some villagers and left others,” the residents said.
Residents said that drinking water supplied to them for two hours daily is impure and not filtered. Some mohallas do not get the water, he said.
“Fortunately, a dispensary has been built in our village many years ago but unfortunately there is no medicine available for us,” he said.
Uri town which is frequented by the villagers living on hilltops for shopping, healthcare, other official work or to travel to Srinagar and Baramulla lacks basic facilities like parking for vehicles, space for vendors, and public conveniences.
Residents and traders blame the legislator for failing to develop it as constituency headquarters. Municipal Committee has equally failed to maintain the town just like the legislator, they said. No drainage system has been constructed in the town. The bus yard in the town is in shambles.
The health facilities in the whole constituency are inadequate, and those which exist lack basic facilities like medicine, doctors and equipment.
Sub-district Hospital in Uri grapples with electricity issues. It has no 24×7 electric supply and its solar panel system is defunct. Uri block has 20 health centers- three PHCs, four NTPHCs (allopathic dispensaries named as NTPHCs but facilities not improved), 11 sub centers and 1 community health center.
Some of the health centers are running from rented, rickety rooms, with compounders acting as doctor.
Uroosa, 15 kilometers from the town and the last village of the Kashmir region, where former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam Azad had visited after the 2005 devastating earth quake is left at the mercy of nature.
Life returned to normal in the border village which was deserted for years following the truce between India and Pakistan in 2003. After the earth quake, people were assured that Government would provide them all basic facilities including opening of communication channels. It raised hopes among the 400 residents of the village that they will live a comfortable life. But, that hope seems now fading as the village is craving for basic facilities.
“We are being provided contaminated water. The electricity is supplied for less than 8 hours a day despite power being generated from here,” Mohammad Anwar, a local said. He said the village had not witnessed any development over the years.
“The middle school was razed to ground in 2005 earth quake was built by Air Force not by the Government. The electricity poles were installed in1979 and have not been replaced since then. Each family was just given Rs 1.5 lakh for building of houses after the earthquake,” Anwar said.
Local said the truce between India and Pakistan has brought cheers on their faces but damaged poles are posing a constant threat to the lives. The villagers have not been provided with mobile telephone connectivity.
“We have WLL phone facility available here but that too is not functioning for the past two months,” they said.
Uroosa and its adjoining villages like Chakara, Guwati, Chakara and Muripatti san health facilities. “If anybody takes ill, we have to take him to Uri, 15 km away,” the residents said.
The road from Uri to Kaman Post that connects Srinagar with Muzaffarabad is in dilapidated condition.
Even army personnel posted in the village on the border bat for the villagers and criticize the legislator for ignoring the people
“With ceasefire came peace at the borders and people live a normal life. However, the representatives have completely ignored them despite truce has set a conducive atmosphere for infrastructure development,” said an army man.
Life in Boniyar and Kamalkote is similar to that of the villages in Uri. Villages like Salamabad, Nambla, Nowshera, Tarkanjan, Dulanja, Sultandaki, Duvara, Paranpeela and other hamlets have same or even less development as that of Garkote village.
Residents said they face drinking water shortage, lack health facilities and the education infrastructure is equal to nothing.
One of the most problems all the residents in the constituency battle with the bad road connectivity. All the link roads are damaged. Even roads taken under PMGSY scheme are incomplete, among the 25 roads taken up in Uri alone, only one has been completed.
Residents said the Central Government schemes like PMGSY and MGNREGA in which MLA has no role are done by contractors and workers who are affiliated with the ruling party MLA.
Youth in the constituency said they have no sports stadium to play at. They are angry with the legislator for not providing sports facilities in the area.
Residents said the MLA has allowed development works only in those areas which vote for him and where his workers desire.
The residents said the role of the administration and the legislator is in carrying out developments like constructing roads and buildings is less. They said Army does most of the works.
Residents said most of the development happened after devastating earthquake in 2005. “After that there is no improvement here,” they said.
Being the source of electricity generation, Uri lights most of the states in Northern India. Three major power projects, Uri I and II, and Lower Jehlum-with a total capacity of 825 MW are operating in the constituency. Residents said they have no electricity. The Uri town being the teshil headquarters and the essential services like hospital too have erratic power supply.
Under RGGVY electricity improvement scheme, the residents said those areas were covered which vote for the present MLA. Transformers were allotted to those habitations where already one existed but those where none existed were left out, they said.
For past two weeks MLA Taj Mohi-ud-Din and his personal staff didn’t respond to repeated efforts of Excelsior to get his comment.
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