Mir Iqbal
Tral is no doubt one of the most beautiful places in Kashmir, but when it comes to development, it could well be dubbed as backward. The dilapidated roads -both main and link-, poor state of health sector, ever increasing irrigation problems, electricity crisis and official apathy is clearly visible when one travels across the constituency.
And, things haven’t improved in last five and a half years with People’s Democratic Party MLA Mushtaq Ahmad Shah at the helm of affairs. Shah defeated Mohammad Ashraf Bhat of National Conference by a margin of around 4000 votes in 2008 Assembly elections. Shah polled 10, 393 votes and Bhat 6, 586.
The MLA didn’t take any major initiative on developmental front that could have provided relief to people. As one drove to Tral from National Highway at Awantipora, one gets a clear picture of how Tral has been ignored by the authorities and casual approach of incumbent MLA.
Two roads, each a stretch of 11 kilometers, that connect Tral with Awantipora-one via Nowdal, Sherabad and other through Dadsara, Noorpora- are in absolute shambles with pot holes all over the road. Similar condition of roads was seen on Tral-Loragam-Satura road that connects dozens of villages to the main town.
The villagers of Loragam, Kuchmulla, Diver, Dharamgund, Satura, Aripal, Nowdal, Dadsara and many other hamlets blamed the incumbent MLA for ignoring the area which has resulted in Tral lagging behind on developmental front.
“We have been ignored for years on developmental front. Our pleas to various Governments have gone to deaf ears and we continue to suffer. The PDP MLA has proved a disaster for us,” Ghulam Qadir, a local resident told Daily Excelsior.
The inhabitants said that they face a lot of hardships due to the bad condition of roads as the commuters, including office goers, students and patients referred to tertiary hospitals’ are worst affected. “The area has always faced political neglect and till date the constituency has witnessed very little development in every field,” they said, adding, particularly the expecting mothers and serious patients are facing huge problems due to the pathetic road conditions.
Locals said that Tral was the only area, where almost all the major roads are very narrow even at some places the main roads are 10 feet wide only, because of which maximum chances of accidents remain there. “It is very difficult to bypass a vehicle from Awantipora to Tral town,” the locals said.
The inhabitants said roads connecting main Tral town are in dilapidated condition. Dobiwon, Khasipora, Monghama, Kuchmulla, Nadar and Laroo are also in bad condition.
While the locals reluctantly hailed the efforts of MLA for vivid improvement in education sector including maximum enrollment at gross root level, nothing substantial has been done at most of the schools to provide students with proper infrastructure, adequate staff and toilet facilities. “A good number of schools were upgraded from Primary to Middle and Middle to High school, but there was no development of infrastructure,” locals said.
The inhabitants of village Lenard said they fear that their children even in 21th century may not be able to attain schooling due to lack of facilities. The villagers migrate along with the cattle to the upper reaches in April and return in October every year, the Government has failed to set up mobile schools for these children. “We brought this serious issue before our MLA, but no step has been taken so far,” the locals said.
The inhabitants of Saimoh said that there is no High School in the village. “We appealed to our MLA dozens of times that a Government High School should be established in the village, so that our children shouldn’t have to travel miles for attaining High School level education. But in vain,” they said.
The electric supply in the area, most of the villagers complained, is very much erratic and people are fed up with unscheduled power cuts. “There is no proper schedule for electricity supply and at the most we get only few hours of electricity a day while at times the villages reel under darkness for day’s altogether and authorities remain unmoved,” the inhabitants said.
They further said that the electric wires are fraught with danger and can lead to a mishap as they are passing through windows and rooftops of the houses as the Power Development Department (PDD) has not even erected electric poles at many villages.
The villagers also complained that some areas remain plunged into darkness for months after any minor damage to the transformer. “Voltage remains so low that at times only a filament of a bulb is visible,” they said.
Farooq Ahmad, a resident of Dadsara said that they approached their MLA, Mushtaq Ahmad Shah many times and requested him for address the problems but he failed to bring any change on ground.
Ahmad said when the villagers complained to him frequently over the “everlasting” grievances, he showed helplessness to redress their burning issues including electricity, roads and other important development works in the village.
Health officials at Tral hospital said that healthcare sector has been neglected by the successive Government. “Despite being hilly constituency catering more than 100 villages, Tral has only two Primary Health Centers,” they said.
Gowhar Ahmad, a local resident said that Tral area has been on the receiving end of the callousness, indifference and neglect of the consecutive Governments. “We have sub district hospital Tral, but the infrastructure and man power remains same since decades,” he said, adding, the patients are referred to tertiary hospital for minor complication.
The locals also said far flung Gujjar village Karmel has no health care facility and in winters they face a lot of problems. “Several deaths were reported in the past due to medical negligence and lack of medical facilities in the village,” they said.
The inhabitants said that MLA Tral has even failed to utilize MGNREGA program in his constituency. They said at some places this scheme gave benefit to some influential families; while as most needed area were left out of this scheme in most of the villages.
“MGNREGA works have been hijacked by the contractors for their personal benefits who receive work orders together with their political leaders. “If at all any work has been done in any village under MGNREGA scheme, sub standard material was used for construction of drains, streets and bunds,” they said.
The common masses have long list of grievances. Be it roads, health or electricity they have only grievances, which according to them have not received the due attention of their elected representative.
The inhabitants said Tral Constituency has been hit by political victimization, mis-governance and excesses. “The developmental plan was not implemented in the area and the reasons are best known to the MLA and district administration that was why government has failed to carry out even 20 percent of the works on ground that it claims to have done,” they said.
The locals said since 1947 none of the politicians took any initiative to bring the area on the tourism map. Had anyone shown little interest in tourism sector it could have become the main source of the economy.
“As far as the question of natural scenery is considered our area is not less than Pehalgam and Gulmarg in any aspect. Shikargah is one of the most beautiful places in the Valley. Nagberan is another beautiful tourism spot in the area. Tarsar and Marsar are two beautiful lakes, which can be used by government for irrigation and power,” locals said.
Incumbent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Mushtaq Ahmed Shah passed the buck on to the successive Governments of the State, saying the successive Government has failed to meet the aspiration of people.
He said Tral being represented by PDP MLA has been worst affected, as Government deliberately either delayed sanctioning important projects or didn’t approve them.
“There are dozens of development project proposals pending with the Government and in the Civil Secretariat from last five years,” he said, adding, had the projects sanctioned in time and funds released on regular intervals Tral constituency would have seen a lot a development.
“During my tenure many works were done like unfinished bridges were completed. Science and Commerce were included in the Degree College, which was long pending demand of the residents. Several roads were built and many were macadamized. New filtration plants were constructed in many villages,” he said.
Shah said that despite sitting in Opposition he has put all his efforts to mitigate the problems of locals here. “To end power crisis in at least 50 villages, I sanctioned some 70 transformers including LT, HT wires and poles in my constituency,” he claimed. He, however, admitted that some far flung isolated habitations, hamlets have not been yet covered.
“Many water supply schemes were executed during my tenure here, but many schemes couldn’t be executed as State Government didn’t disburse their only 10 percent cost share,” he said.
Keeping minority Sikh community into his consideration, MLA Tral said it was only in his tenure that cremation grounds for Sikh community at many villages were developed.
Shah believes ignoring Tral area on Politico-social front was one of the reasons that its people kept them at bay. “Had the tourism places been developed in Tral, it would have generated local business for unemployed youth in the area,” he said.
“Shikargah, Nagberan, Narannag, Tarsar, Marsar and Narastaan are attractive places in Tral, but the successive Governments have neglected these places,” he said, “I tried my best to bring them in Government attention, but being in Opposition no body listen to me,” MLA said.
Shah said that he had brought some important road links before the Government and concerned authorities that could have not only benefitted Tral people, but could have played a major role in decongestion of traffic at vital Pehalgam-Srinagar highway.
“Tral-Bugmad-Leh road and Tral-Syedabad -Khrew roads will shorten at least 60 kilometers distance between Srinagar and Pahalgam and also it will streamline the traffic on busy National Highway,” he said.
Showing concern that flood threat was looming large on Tral town due to heavy rains for last three years, Shah said: “To prepare for any such untoward situation in future, I submitted a detailed project to the Government and appealed them to address it, but till date no action was taken on the project,” he said.
Shah also said that some vested interested persons leveled allegation of swindling money and favoritism in National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) against him. “That is wrong. I am ready to face any probe and if found guilty, I am ready to sell my prosperity and resign from MLA post to pay fine,” he added.
Replying to a question, Shah said how an MLA can be responsible for everything, when successive Government from Sheikh Abdullah to Omar Abdullah (from decades) failed to execute much needed Tral lift irrigation scheme. “Tral-Rajpora, Tral-Koil, and main Tral schemes are pending from last 40-years,” he said.
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