Mir Iqbal
Shangus constituency, one of the six Assembly segments in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district, appears to be the victim of Government’s apathy and inefficiency of local representative as people lack basic amenities including healthcare, drinking water, electricity, education, road connectivity and other major developments.
The inhabitants said that they have been discriminated by the successive Governments on every front and all the political parties’ members claimed that once voted to power all the genuine issues would be solved.
Major link roads, drinking water, health care, education and irrigation have been neglected by the Government and the concerned MLA.
The inhabitants alleged that the ill-planned execution of the various Government schemes have least benefited them, but close friends and relatives of local political party members, including the MLA, Peerzada Mansoor Hussain of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), took away the lion’s share in some schemes,.
Residents said most of projects including development of tourism places, construction of Martand canal for irrigation of agricultural land, improvement in education sector and health care were not taken seriously, because of which they face hardships.
“Shangus constituency has also been neglected on tourism front despite having top natural spots like Chattapal, which could have proved economic boon for inhabitants of this constituency,” said Mohammad Iqbal Wani, a youth.
The inhabitants said they have appealed to their leaders for taking these important issues with the Government, but nothing has been done.
“Our area could have generated economy for our youth had some top spots in this constituency developed like our neighbouring Pehalgam and Kokernag constituencies were developed and exposed to tourists,” said Aam Aadmi Party Member, Dr Tanveer Maqbool Dar.
Dar said that Shangus constituency comprises of more than hundred villages and all of them have been pushed on the back foot because of weak politicians, who have failed to develop the area as per aspirations of people here.
“Far-flung areas here offer huge potential for tourism and the present MLA has miserably failed to harness it,” he said.
Since most of the inhabitants here are dependent on agriculture and its allied activities, but most of the times their farms are badly hit because the area being drought prone.
The farmers have been demanding construction of irrigation canal from village Deetho to Nowgam so that their paddy land yields better crop.
“The construction of Martand canal from Deetho to Nowgam for supplying timely water to crops has been the long pending demand of farmers here, but so far no politician paid heed to this important demand of people,” Imtiyaz Ahmad, an National Conference activist from Nowgam.
He said due to the hilly terrain of agriculture fields the farmers have to rely on rainfall and in case it fails the crops are worst hit in absence of irrigation facility in the area.
Showing their displeasure with the casual attitude of the Government and their legislator, the locals said had their representative shown any interest for the construction of irrigation canal, more than 75 villages in the constituency would have been benefitted.
Abdul Khaliq Rather, a retired Government officer, said the politicians have learned the art of luring “poor” voters by sanctioning Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for construction of fencing for grave yards in villages or sanctioning of transformers to the villagers.
He said these issues could have been solved at district administration level had the locals been aware of their rights and politicians would have rendered memorable service to this constituency by focusing on more important issues.
“After ruling for more than five years, our MLA has disappointed us as we continue to suffer for want of healthcare, pure drinking water and road connectivity,” Rather said.
Scores of youth in the area told EXCELSIOR that had the politicians adopted welfare policies in this far flung area like quality education and skill development of local youth that could have helped them to get employment in their own local set up.
They said that it was sad that the people living here are still suffering due to lack of basic amenities like quality health care, proper road connectivity, quality education, ration, power etc.
They said not only their MLA, but the ruling coalition has “brazenly” ignored these areas over last more than five and a half years thus adding to the people’s miseries.
Nazir Ahmad Malla, a local said that the health care facilities in these areas were almost nil, and the people have to travel miles for treatment and, unfortunately, funds sanctioned under various centrally sponsored schemes have either been embezzled or not utilized properly.
He said in village Brakpora, a Public Health Center (PHC) building was constructed, but no doctor was made available to patients of the area. Dozens of lives are put to risk every day due to the lack of health care facilities in the area.
Locals said at certain instances patients were referred to territory hospital, but they get stuck in massive traffic jams on way to tertiary hospitals and they didn’t get treatment in time.
“Had the local politicians shown sincerity, this problem could have been solved by constructing a hospital with all medical facilities here,” Malla said.
He alleged that almost all the health centers in the constituency are either without staff including doctors and paramedics or lacks proper infrastructure.
The education system in the constituency is similarly neglected as the locals alleged that education system has received a big jolt under the ruling regime and the students have to suffer because of the lack proper teaching staff and other infrastructural facilities.
Inhabitants of Imoh village told EXCELSIOR that in 2010 PDP MLA Peerzada Mansoor Hussain inaugurated Government High School building in the village, but they said the school sans infrastructure and teaching faculty as well.
Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Imoh, said after inauguration of the school by MLA, the village Auqaf Committee went to Chief Education Officer (CEO) Anantnag, but he told them the school was never upgraded officially.
Referring to the dismal power scenario the inhabitants said besides charging huge tariff from them the legislator has failed to provide power to the people. They said all parts of the constituency are confronting with the bad power supply and the situation is worst in far-flung villages.
They said the Kululoo village in his constituency sans electricity despite the fact that concerned MLA had promised to the villagers at the time of voting that electricity would be made available in the village after elections.
The locals also alleged that the area has been totally ignored by the Government in the recent expansion of administrative units.
Similarly, major intra-constituency roads are in dilapidated condition and commuters have to face a lot of inconveniences every day.
Link roads connecting Donipawa with Brakpora, Brakpora to Shelipora, Imoh to Achabal, Imoh to Anantnag, and Achabal to Brinty, Nowgam, Andoora, Chattergul, Ranipora, Gopalpora, Kauhanhal Kard and other dozens of villages are in dilapidated condition.
However, MLA Shangus Peerzada Mansoor Hussain said that he has spent his entire Constituency Development Fund on the developmental works in his constituency. “I have taken some important projects in the area which would be completed in future”, he said.
MLA said nothing had been done since 1947 in my area. “Now I have taken some important projects including modernization of Martand Canal for irrigation of agriculture land in the area. We have sent the proposal of Martand irrigation canal to the Government in 2010, that got delayed, but this year tenders for the work got approval for construction of canal upto Telwani village,” he said, adding, similarly, “development of Chattapal area as tourist place have been taken during his period for the welfare of people”.
Hussain also said that he has sent three proposals to the Central Government for the development of tourism including a ropeway, Gandola, for reaching three important lakes at Chattapal area.
“Almost all the major link roads are in good condition, as I have spent around Rs 132 crore under different schemes for maintenance of roads and construction of some bridges,” he said.
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