KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR, Dec 21: Despite government claims that adequate arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of Muharram, the ground situation narrates a dismal tale of official apathy.
Nodal officers not appointed
Three days of Muharram have passed, but Srinagar, Budgam, and Baramulla district –with a high concentration of Shia population - have not yet appointed nodal officers to monitor the Muharram arrangements.
Sugar not available
According to reliable sources, sugar is not available in many government stores. A delegation of Shia associations told this newspaper that the government has not allotted special Muharram quota this year. They said that they had contacted Minister for Food and Supplies, but “he rejected to allot the special quota”.
Pertinently, government in the past used to provide special Muharram quota, which included Sugar, kerosene oil and rice to Shia majority areas.
Erratic power supply
Despite government assurance that uninterrupted power supply will be provided to Shia areas during Muharram days, frequent power fluctuations have annoyed the people. Residents of Zadibal, Nawpora, in district Srinagar and Bemina, Ichgam, Naraspora, Sepdan in Budgam district have complained that power plays hide and seek in their areas. They said that frequent complaints to the authorities have fallen on deaf ears.
Dilapidated roads
Decaying roads continue to be a serious problem. Even some procession routes, particularly in Bemina, Ichgam and Chadoora in district Budgam are in dilapidated condition. So far, no effort has been made by the district administration to repair the roads. Pertinently, Budgam district has got a major share of the Muharram funds.
The delegation also said that PHE department has not yet replaced the damaged water tanks in many Imam Baras in Budgam district, despite repeated requests. Moreover, non-functional water connections have also not been restored.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Govt ignoring old Bemina
‘SMC helpline is helpless’
SRINAGAR , Dec 24: While Minister of State for urban development, Nasir Aslam Wani and Mayor SMC, Salman Sagar are busy taking stock of Muharram arrangements in Srinagar , the Shia dominated areas in Srinagar
This paper carried a news item on December 22, 2009 about the problem the residents of old Bemina are facing due to accumulated garbage in the area. Three days on, the heaps of garbage still lie unattended.
A delegation of the area told this news paper that they had brought the matter into the notice of concerned official, but nothing was done to address the problem.
“We called the SMC helpline numbers yesterday and we were assured that a team will be send to the area today, but not a single person turned up,” the delegation said.
They said the concerned authorities have not even cleared a heap of garbage lying unattended for the past several weeks outside the entrance of Imambara Ayatollah Yousuf (RA) from where a series of Muharram procession will pass from tomorrow.
“SMC has completely ignored the Shia dominated area of Bemina,” the delegation said. “Despite frequent requests, the corporation failed to install street light near the Imambaras.”
They said that in absence of street lights, people have to face lot of hardships as most of the Muharram processions are taken out in evening.
The delegation demanded that a street light be installed at important places, particularly at Azakhana Safvi Abad where a Tazi procession is taken out on the evening of 10th Muharram.
They said that the state government had assured that no stone will be left unturned for the smooth conduct of Muharram, however, most of the areas “have been left at the mercy of God”.
“The government has sanctioned Rs 2 crore as special Muharram fund, but officials tell us they have not received a penny,” the delegation said. “We need facilities particularly for first 15 days of Muharram. Six days have already passed and no official of SMC has yet paid a visit to our area to take stock of the arrangements.”
The delegation also said the government has also not allotted special quotas of kerosene oil, sugar, and rice this year.
They also said that PHE department has failed to replace damaged water tanks in many Imambaras in Budgam district, despite repeated requests.
“Even non-functional water connections have not been restored,” they said.
9 years, 3 govts, 3 cost estimates, Yousuf Abad still ‘denied’ water
KT NEWS SERVICE
SRINAGAR
The cost estimate was submitted three times to executive engineer PHE Budgam, but directions remained confined to papers.
Pertinently, the application, dating back to July 2, 2001, was addressed to then minister of state for education, who had directed executive engineer PHE Budgam to take “necessary action”.
“We have reached everywhere to get ourselves heard, but so far our repeated requests seem to have only fallen on deaf ears,” the inhabitants of Yousuf Abad told Kashmir Times.
After waiting for nine long years, they have been told by the department to wait for another year.
“We have been waiting for nine years, and now the authorities want us to wait for another year,” the inhabitants said. “Is this the way to treat top priority cases?”
The inhabitants said that they were facing ‘unjust’ and ‘unethical’ discrimination because of their political inclination.
“We appeal to our MLA Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who is also a cabinet minister, to kindly look personally into the matter on top priority to mitigate our sufferings,” they said.
The inhabitants alleged that the department had issued number of water pipes to the supporters of a particular political party.
“If they don’t have funds to meet our nine-year-long demand, how come they provide water pipes or even new connections to those who already have one connection,” they said.
They alleged that the department was only favouring influenced persons who enjoyed patronage of some political parties.
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