Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Feb 7: The Government Degree College Ashmuqam in Anantnag district of South Kashmir was designated three years ago as part of a larger initiative to provide higher education at the doorsteps of people, but construction is yet to begin due to an ongoing dispute between two villages over the location.
The college was one of 51 new colleges allotted in 2019–2021 with the aim of increasing access to higher education for students in underserved areas. Despite this promising start, the college in Ashmuqam has been unable to progress due to the ongoing dispute over its location.
Locals said that political meddling was to blame for the delay, which has angered the people. “The College was the victim of two political parties’ attempts to please their voters by claiming credit for the establishment of the college,” a local said, adding that the government must choose the location based on merit and break this impasse because it is impeding education.
An official told Excelsior that the government has formed a committee to address the issue and has asked the concerned Deputy Commissioner to produce a report on the matter. He said the Deputy Commissioner is tasked with finding a resolution to the dispute and ensuring that construction of the much-needed degree college can proceed without any further delay.
“The government is committed to finding a resolution that is fair and equitable for all parties involved. We are actively working to gather all the necessary information and will be producing a report in the coming weeks that will outline a path forward for the construction of the college in Ashmuqam,” he said.
The lack of progress has caused significant distress among students in the area who have been unable to pursue higher education due to the region’s lack of a Government Degree College. The local community has called for a swift resolution to the issue, expressing their hope that the government will take swift action to resolve the dispute and allow construction to finally begin.
“The lack of progress on the college construction has been a huge disappointment for our community, which was promised access to higher education, but three years later, we are still no closer to seeing the college built. It is time for the government to step up and resolve this dispute once and for all,” a local from Ashmuqam said.
Residents of Siligam said that they are not against the people of Ashmuqam but wanted the project in their area: “We are not against the residents of Ashmuqam. But the educational institute is crucial to our area. We hope the government considers this as they strive to settle the conflict,” a resident said.
Despite differences, the residents of Ashmuqam and Suligam expressed their optimism that the government will take their worries into account and quickly resolve the conflict, ensuring that the objective of delivering education to doorsteps may be achieved in their area.
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