Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 1: Dardpora village in district Kupwara’s Lolab is lacking almost all basic amenities which are essential for the life to sustain. The village, which is home to more than 8000 souls, lacks effective road connectivity as well as the health care services.
In the 21st century, people living in the village are forced to travel several kilometres for want to health care services as the lone health centre in the village was never upgraded for last 30 years and ironically remains open for three days a week. The sub centre has got no doctor.
“The village lacks all the basic amenities which are essential for people to live. The health centre that we have was never upgraded. There are only two people working there: one is a pharmacist and another one is an ANM worker; while the centre remains open for only three days,” said Shabir Ahmad, a resident, adding that if one has got any medical emergency when the centre is closed, they have to travel to Sogam-which is at quite a distance.
What is ironical is that whenever the residents are to vaccinate their children they have to travel to SDH Sogam as their health centre lacks almost every facility.
“If one among those who are working at the sub centre goes on leave, the sub centre remains closed; for a mere injection, we are forced to travel to SDH,” he said.
The story does not even end there. The residents said that even the roads in the area are in a bad condition. The main road of the village-which is just 8 feet in width and 36 kms in length-has not been upgraded so far despite the efforts of the locals in providing the concerned agency with the required land for its widening.
“We had done our bit with regard to the widening of the road; but the administration is not taking any pains in upgrading the road-it is the only road which connects our village with the outside world,” he said.
The residents, who appear to have grown weary of requesting the officials for one thing or the other, Saturday, finally, appeared at the Press Enclave to highlight their miseries. They said that the area is economically backward due to the fact that the consecutive governments have always over looked the plight of the people.
“In the population of around 8000, only few people are government employees; we were not given anything by any Government so far, pushing behind with every passing day,” said Abdul Majeed Ganaie, another resident.
The residents allege that the village is backward in terms of education as well. “Though our area is, as per the official records, forward, by the ground reality it is rather more than backwards; our youth are given no opportunity to show case their talent,” they said.
The villagers also feel that they are being subjected to step-motherly conduct by the administration as there are various developmental works that have been carried on many other adjoining areas but nothing has been done in Dardpora. “We have seen no improvement for last so many years now,” they alleged.
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