Waseem Ahmad
Charar-e-Sharief: Despite electing new representative in the previous Assembly elections, the residents of Charar-e-Sharief constituency are aghast over the lack of development and incomplete projects.
This historical town is famous for the tomb of revered Sufi Saint Sheikh Noor-u-din Noorani (RAH), who preached Islam in the Valley. The shrine of Charar-e-Sharief is approximately 600 years old.
The Charar-e-Sharief constituency in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district belongs to Srinagar Parliamentary constituency and has always been stronghold of NC since 1977. In 2014, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Ghulam Nabi Lone defeated Abdul Rahim Rather of JKNC who represented the constituency six times. Lone won by a margin of 5167 votes and polled 32849 votes while Rather polled 27682 votes.
The residents of Charar-e-Sharief constituency lamented that despite electing a new representative, it lacks development and situation is no better than what was earlier.
They said there is nothing in the constituency that can be cheered about as the issues faced by the people have been hardly addressed and even the basic amenities like scheduled power supply, potable water, better road connectivity and health services are lacking.
The residents of the constituency claimed that the famous shrine due to which the place is famous for has also not been developed. They said the construction of Khanqah of the shrine has not been completed yet. Besides, there is no toilet facility for the devotees.
They also said that a shopping complex near the shrine which is under Waqf Board is under construction and no efforts are being done to speed up the work on it.
The inhabitants of the constituency said that in health care sector, three Sub-District hospitals (SDH) of Pakherpora, Charar-e-Sharief and Nagam have not been developed and several Primary Health Centres (PHC) like in Nowpora, Telisura and Kanira also lack facilities. They said that the issue was raised with the former MLA but to no avail.
The residents of the Constituency said that the main roads as well as the inner roads of various areas are in dilapidated condition and authorities have failed to repair or macadamize them. The roads include the main Charar-e-Sharief road, Nowgam to Gogjipathri road, Surasyar to Jaddan road and Jaddan to Gogjipathri road are in dilapidated conditions.
The villagers of Badipora said that they do not have good road connectivity as the main road has been encroached by locals. They said that even the basic amenities like scheduled power supply, potable water supply and health services are lacking.
“A dispensary caters to almost 500 households here. It is functioning since decades and is without any doctor and medicine,” Abdul Rashid, a local said.
The residents of the constituency while accusing the previous MLA said that he also failed to rescue the constituency from the clutches of backwardness. “In 2014 elections people of this constituency voted for a change and elected a new MLA as their representative but he too failed to work for the development of the constituency. Our areas are considered as backward as there is no development here,” Gulam Mohammad Khan, a resident of Charar-e-Sharief said.
The inhabitants also said that hardly any work was done in the village under Centrally sponsored program MGNREGA due to the unnecessary political interference and the scheme benefitted the closed ones only. “MGNREGA scheme only benefitted the influential people. Even the contracts of works were also given on political considerations while the unemployed youth were neglected,” they said.
People of Nowpora, Hupru, Lolipora, Gogjipathri, Nagam, Watkul, Darwan, Boru, Khrid and Brinjan also complained that their burning issues including pure drinking water, electricity supply etc were not addressed.
People of Charar-e-Sharief town said that the town was given the status of Block in January 2014 and was divided into 10 wards but till date the town lacks development.
The inhabitants said that Talab-e-Kalan or Bada Talab, Nowhar, Jabl-e-Noor, Wazabagh, Trajibal, Court Road, Gulshanabad, Alamdar Colony, Zaloosa and Kumar Mohalla are facing lot of problems despite the area housing one of the most sacred Muslim shrines in Kashmir, where lakhs of people visit on special occasions.
Muhammad Haneef, a teacher complained that the tourist place of Yousmarg has not been developed like other tourist places and it is hardly famous among tourists or locals. It lacks infrastructure and even basic facilities are missing.
Inhabitants of Watkul, Gojipathri, Kutbal, Thera, Jaden, Buzgoo, Nowpora, Showpora and Badoo are facing problems in irrigation and they said that the former MLA has failed to construct an irrigation canal, a long pending demand of people in the area.
The residents also said that the two bridges including Khrewgund bridge and Nowhar bridge have been sanctioned but the work on it has not been completed despite passing various years.
They also complained that the various schools of the constituency have not been upgraded and are in dire need of basic facilities including infrastructure and staff.
Ex-MLA Charar-e-Sharief, Ghulam Nabi Lone, blamed less tenure of the Government for not completing the developmental activities and said that he did his best to develop the constituency in this time frame.
He said various roads under different schemes like PMGSY, CRF and NABARD were developed in the constituency and about 70 percent of the roads were macadamized. Some of the roads were completed while work on several others is going on.
“Road projects worth Rs 125 crores were developed in several areas of the constituency.
Lone said the people of the constituency were facing problem in the electricity supply and it was rectified to a great extent. “We used to receive electricity through the transmission line that was coming from Pampore and it was a long distance and often a minor fault resulted in electricity shutdown in the constituency. To avoid that a transmission line was laid from Budgam to Charar-e-Sharief and now it feeds electricity to this constituency and Chadoora as well. There was no receiving station in the constituency from last 35 years.
“We sanctioned various receiving stations in the constituency and the work on various stations is going on. The main receiving station was constructed in Charar-e-Sharief which is complete and the work on another receiving station in Hanjura is going on. Besides, receiving stations in Rangar, Panzan, Hufru Batpora and Pakherpora have been sanctioned. Creation and augmentation of about 100 transformers in the constituency was carried out. Our party at that time gave every constituency Rs 1 crore for repairing wires and poles. Accordingly, the entire amount was spent on repairs and installing poles and wires wherever it was needed,” he said.
Lone said for providing water to the people whether for drinking purpose or agricultural purposes, three to four major water supply schemes were completed. Besides, various new colonies that were without water supply, pipes were provided to them.
He said the Health care sector was in a very bad shape in the constituency and people used to face problems but it was also developed. “Additional blocks were constructed in the three SDHs of the constituency. Work on them is under process but I managed to sanction them and started the work. X-RAY machines were installed in all the hospitals. In maximum PHCs, there were no Dental chairs, I provided those chairs to them from CDF. Besides, there were deficiency of ambulances in the hospitals, six ambulances were given to the PHCs,” the ex-MLA said.
He said in Charar-e-Sharief town, a Nursing College was constructed with hostel facilities for girls as well. “I spent Rs 50 Lakhs from CDF for construction of the hostel. An ambulance was also provided for this college. Various schools were upgraded and infrastructure of schools was also developed. Besides, Girls hostels were constructed in Surasyar and Gogjipathri,” Lone said.
When asked about the beautification of the shrine, Lone said: “The Khanqah of the shrine was being constructed but was incomplete and I provided Rs 2.50 crores for its construction and beautification of the shrine. A park is being constructed near shrine. Besides, the non-availability of the toilet facility at the Shrine is due to a dispute in acquisition of the land with the shopkeepers and a new place is now being identified for the Toilet complex.”
He further said that to uplift the tourism activities and beautification of Yousmarg, various huts, Parks, paths, roads were constructed so that people or tourists will visit the place, stay there and enjoy the beauty. Yousmarg Development Authority was also made to look after the tourist place.
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