Ex-MLAs’ Report Card Constituency: Bani Jeewan Lal Lehal (BJP)
Avtar Bhat
BANI : Part of Kathua district, Bani Assembly segment is totally a hilly and terrain area which is linked to Basholi Assembly segment in West, Bhaderwah in East, Billawar in North and Udhampur in North East while from its South falls the Himachal Pradesh and the Assembly segment is separated from the neighbouring State by river Ravi.
Bani Assembly segment has been one of the most neglected constituencies of Jammu region in general and Kathua district in particular and right from independence of the country no special attention has been paid to develop this area is the general complaint of the masses.
The Constituency is presently represented by BJP, MLA, Jeewan Lal Lehal and like other parts of Jammu people of Bani besides facing problems of road connectivity, water scarcity, power crisis also faced a peculiar problem i.e lack of employment avenues.
However, the main problems which the people of this area are facing was lack of road connectivity and water scarcity. But unfortunately no proper attention was paid over the years towards it with the result the people in far-flung areas of the Bani Assembly segment remained backward and socially cut off.
One of the major complaints of the people in the area is that no proper attention was paid by the Government including the present one in boosting the horticulture in the area though it has a lot of potential for growing fruits like apple, pears, walnuts, apricots etc like the neighbouring State of Himachal Pradesh. Though Himachal Pradesh is nearer to Bani and at a walking distance but there is lot of difference so far as the development of neighbouring Chamba district and Bani tehsil is concerned. The State Government has to go a long way to match the neighbouring areas of HP in development is the general perception among people of Bani.
In some areas of Bani, people complained about water scarcity saying that no proper attention was paid to solve the drinking water problem of the people. This problem was highlighted by the people in Karodh Bani. They alleged that taps were existing in the area but they are without water.
Krishan Chand, a resident of the area said that no proper attention has been paid to solve the drinking water problem in this entire belt. Though Bani has natural sources of water but same could not be tapped for water supply purposes as no major water supply scheme has been taken up in hand till date.
He said in Primary School Karodh, three teachers have been posted but only one remained available while rest two are generally absent. There is no check on the same.
The people of Tuen Morh face acute water scarcity and they were fetching water from over one kilometre distance. Harbans Lal a tailor master said that lack of road connectivity is main problem in the village and till date no one paid attention to solve this problem once and for all.
The people of Machedi and Lohi Malhar have many complaints against the successive Governments’ and political parties. They said the area has no link with Bani geographically but it has been made a part of that Constituency when there is no direct road link from Lohi Malhar and Machedi to Bani, said Shamas -ud-Din a local resident.
He said the road has not been constructed ahead of Lohi Malhar to Machedi and work was abandoned for unknown reasons.
The political parties also played a truant with our area always as every political party has given mandate to their candidates from Bani area and ignoring us. Whatever development was made by them they concentrated on Bani and neglected this area, said Nazir Ahmed of Malhar. “Lohi -Malhar and Machedi be either linked to Billawar Constituency to which it has a connectivity or be made a separate constituency for its development.
He said work on road via Katli to Malhar has been abandoned a year back. Later a portion was taken up under MGNREGA but money not paid to labourers till date.
Shamas Din, another resident of the area said the people want that the work on road from Katli to Malhar be started soon.
Criticizing the claims of Government regarding electrifying of all villages, he said the slogan Her Gar Ko Bijli, Har Ghar Ko Pani has proved hollow as electricity poles have not been laid at various places in Lohi -Malhar area till date.
However, people are pinning high hopes in the present public representative saying that he has taken various steps for the development of other wise a neglected Constituency but three years is a short span in which all problems can be solved.
The Basholi-Bani -Bhaderwah road construction of which was taken in hand a long back was incomplete up to 2014 when the Assembly elections were held and work on it was going on at snails pace but during the last three years a lot of headway has been made in construction of this road and it has been metalled up to Headworks of Sweat IInd near Bani town now.
This has been admitted by the people of the Constituency themselves and they gave credit of the same to public representatives of the Assembly and Lok Sabha Constituency.
The construction of road up to Bhaderwah will be a game changer for this entire area and will boost both pilgrimage tourism and sight seeing tourism of Bani when completed, said Moti Ram a resident of Bani.
He said this is the only main road linking the Bani constituency to rest of country as well as neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Earlier work was abandoned on it but soon after the election of Jeewan Lal as MLA the work was resumed and we hope that this year it will be completed up to Lohang.
Degree College was announced for Bani by previous Government in 2008 and foundation of its building was laid by former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah soon after he took over in 2008 but later work was abandoned for a long time, said Bishan Dass a shoe cobbler of Bani.
He said after the new Government took over in 2015, the work was started on college building and one floor has been completed by now. Moreover, same was case with ST Hostel Bani on which work was started and then abandoned. Later present Government on the demand of local MLA sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for the building and it has been now completed.
He also gave credit to local representative of creating two separate Tourism Development Authorities one for Basholi and Bani and another for Billwar and Duggan. However, the authorities have failed to appoint their CEOs, which is a cause of concern. Being headless these authorities are virtually defunct, he added.
Dass said under CRF no funds were sanctioned in this Constituency since independence and it was for the first time during the tenure of present MLA that he got Rs 6.75 crore sanctioned for construction of Katli Daman road and bridge for which the DPR has been framed.
Likewise the motorable road to Sarthal picnic spot and a religious pilgrimage centre on way to Bhaderwah was constructed by the present regime, said Darshan Kumar. The MLA constructed a hut for tourists there and laid tiles in lanes up to market, he added.
The work on 10 km Dhar Manjera road was also started by MLA and after construction of two kms the work was abandoned for unknown reasons, he said. He however, showed concern over slow pace of work on highway from Bani to Lahang and said the fume and dust which gathers in the area due to execution and cutting of hill lock has led to respiratory diseases among the people.
However, MLA Bani Jeevan Lal Lehal said Bani and Lohai Malhar areas will be developed as nearest tourist destinations. This hilly area with a number scenic places and shrines has immense tourism potential but was ignored by successive Governments. There was no road connectivity to worth scene places in Bani such as Duggan, Dhaggar, Dullangal, Challa, Mandhar, Fatehpur, Bhandar, Sandroon, Bandhghat, Ghuttu, Roulka and Khazyar.
The present NDA Government led by Narendra Modi has sanctioned 19 PMGSY roads and one CRF road from Billawar to Bani via Derigalla for the Constituency and with the construction of these roads most of tourist and religious places will have road connectivity. But the works which could not be done in last 70 years can’t be done in a short span of three years as there is no magic wand. “Still I am committed to develop this Constituency and several steps have been taken in this regard to overcome the lapses of past”, he added.
He also complimented the Union MoS in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, who also represents the Lok Sabha Constituency for his whole hearted cooperation and said the Union Minister took personal interest in sanctioning one motorable bridge over Sewa Nallah near Minijri park which was long pending demand of people of Bani under CRF with estimate cost of Rs 6.25 crore.”I am also thankful to him for sanction of Bani-Basholi- Bhaderwah road as National Highway with Chhattergalla tunnel project with estimate cost of Rs 3600 crore. This Highway will be operational throughout the year for traffic and will also act alternative National Highways for defence purpose. The coalition has also focused on tourism sector in this area.
The work of Manjhiri park which was started in 1989 but could not be constructed in last 25 years has been constructed in last two years. MLA said the shooting of the Hindi feature film “Goggles of Rajesh Khanna” by Sehgal Media Group in the scenic Valley of Bani has encouraged our efforts to attract tourists. Another film producer has desired for shooting in Bani during this Summer.
He said for Model village Badnota in tehsil Lohai-Malhar Rs 10 crore were sanctioned.
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