WE THE PEOPLE
Thousands of villagers of Gowtapora, Dharmuna and other adjoining villages continue to face hardships
They demand protected water supply, upgradation of roads, drainage/ irrigation/ systems and health-care facilities.
By: Mirror News Service
Srinagar: Despite launch of several developmental programme, still a few villages in Budgam district continue to remain without basic necessities of life. The villages under report are not far off from the district headquarter, but their plight seems to have escaped the notice of the district administration so far. Pertinent to mention that single line administration was introduced with the objective of taking administration to the door-steps of the people of Jammu and Kashmir State so that grievances of general masses are addressed and redressed without any delay. Then why the villagers of Gowtapora, Dharmuna and other adjoining villages are without dependable road connectivity, safe drinking water, irrigation and health care facilities for the last several years.
The Central Government has embarked upon massive Reconstruction Programme and undertaken several Public Welfare Projects to provide basic necessities of life to people, then why above said villages are denied such necessities of life. They are just a few kilometres away from the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir State, but are unable to transact their day to day activities effectively due to bad road communication. It is reported that drivers of public transport have abandoned their villages, putting thereby the villagers to severe hardships. In absence of potable water, the villagers have to remain content with raw water flowing in the nallah nearby. The villages lack health-care facility and even for ordinary ailments, the patients have to either rush to District Hospital Budgam or to Srinagar. The case of pregnant ladies during night hours can well be imagined than described. Since the government of the day is committed to provide effective road connectivity under Bharat Nirman Programme so the aggrieved and neglected villagers deserve top most attention. They need proper irrigation facilities for which the officials of Irrigation Department must rise and take all necessary measures to meet their genuine demand. It is the irrigation system which helps in the production of crops. It is learnt that some irrigation canals are under control of the said Department so there should be no difficulty in extending requisite facility to the villagers. A Primary Health Centre and safe drinking water are essential components and as such must engage the attention of the authorities.
“Effective road connectivity is a necessity and not a luxury, but this concept seems to have escaped the attention of the engineers of PWD. The roads passing through our villages were constructed some three to four decades back and since some patch work has been done by the concerned engineers. The roads have developed ruts and corrugations, rendering movement of vehicles very difficult. Both private and public transport drivers have developed abhorrence and have ignored our routes, forcing us to tread several miles on foot. Our school going children and females are hit hard. Absence of a well-equipped Health Centre has brought us face to face with umpteen hardships. Many pregnant ladies met fatal end on several occasions when timely Medicare was not available to them. You can well imagine when a lady is in the last stage of pregnancy and develops pangs of birth and no lady doctor is available, so death in such cases becomes inevitable. We have been projecting our demands to the higher authorities, but all our pleas have fallen flat upon their heads. Non-availability of safe drinking water has led to jaundice on several occasions in the past and taken a heavy toll of infants, but with no effect on the concerned officials”, said a group of villagers of Gowtapora and its adjoining hamlets.
Hence, it becomes necessary that the officials of district administration Budgam tackle the issues and redress the grievances of the above said villagers without any further delay. They have suffered a lot and let their sufferings come to an end now!
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