S Tahir-Ul Haq
Early Times Report
BANDIPORA, Apr 5: As dozens of villages in Bandipora district lack basic facilities, locals are up in arms against the government. The government has failed to address the problems of common masses in the area as they have been a victim of official apathy.
Locals of many villages including Gundjahangir, Shadipora, Asham, Madhvan, Saderkoot, Baniyari, Sumbal, Hajin and Banyari and other adjoining areas were ignored by the previous government on all fronts and have been a victim of official apathy.
Bashir Ahmad of Banyari said, "The area has been deprived of all basic facilities and has a poor drainage system, water logging, improper electricity and dilapidated roads."
"The Power Development Department (PDD) has never erected electric poles which were fixed in 1950 in many villages. There are some areas which remains plunged into darkness for months after minor damages to the transformers," he added.
Residents of Shadipora said, "We are disappointed with the PDD as the electric wires are fraught with danger and can lead to a mishap. These electric lines are passing through rooftops of the houses but the department is least bothered.
Due to incessant rains for the past few days, many areas are submerged under water. There is a water logging which has forced many families to shift from to safer places, they added. They said that the roads in their areas were never macadamized and half of the village remains cut from rest of the district headquarter, the small bridges and the culverts are washed away by the rains as these were allegedly made of sub-standard material. "Need of the hour is to provide these rural masses every kind of facility so that they may not suffer in future. They need proper drainage system, good roads, uninterrupted electric supply and drinking water facility," they demanded. |
