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| Old faces are out with new masks and bogus promises | | | Daya Sagar
Slogans on development of backward areas are high in air. When promises were made about three shift work and committed work culture hopes were set in the minds of the people of backward and remote areas of J&K. But the status on ground even as regards the performance of works taken for improvement of already laid old roads etc ( not new roads ) under the prestigious projects like being executed by J&K under Asian Development Bank Loan is discouraging . Doda-Bharath Road ( 20 Km ) Under JK ERA ADB Loan ( original project winding up Dec 2009 ) is targeted for completion in Nov 2009 but till December 1st 6% work was reported as done and similarly for Drabshalla-Bimalnag Road ( 8 Km ) to only 6% work was reported as n done. For Kali Bari Kathua-Hatli Morh Road ( 6.57Km ) that was included in ADB project taken by ERA only zero % work was reported in December 2008. ( Original Project life ends in Dec 2009 )
It is election time again. Old faces with new masks and promises are again out. May it be Azad or Mufti or Mir all are out to touch the sentiments of the common innocent poor people. They are making fresh promises to do away with the mal administration, illiteracy , lack of communication infrastructure ,unemployment and neglect of tourism / agriculture / horticultural in the backward areas of Jammu and Kashmir . Most of these areas fall in the Districts of Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch.. They could not make even Patnitop to Sanasar road ( just 18 km ) worth safe and pleasant travel for the tourist in more than two decades . A small 30 meter span multi barrel box culvert over Manannu Nallah on Samba Mansar Road in April 2006 was allotted to JK Projects Construction Corpn Ltd by J&K ERA under the projects of Asian Development Bank some where in 2006 and there are no traces of any work in progress there even after over two years. To quote, for the road improvement works under Asian Development Bank Project (dead line for completing the project work on ground is June 2009 ) the status is dismal. Saki Maidan-Kalai Road Poonch District work allotted in April 2007 to be completed in April2009 but only 1( one %) work has been done,double laning of Baribrahmana/Bishnah Road was to be completed by April2008 but even till Dec 2008 only 61% work has been done, Sidhra-Surinsarr-Mansar Road improvement work started in Dec 2006 was to be completed by Dec 08 but till Dec 08 only 20 % work has been done. Chenani-Sudh Mahadev Road was to be completed by December 2008 but till December 2008 only 13 % work was reported as completed in Dec 2008.
Position in Kashmir region too is frustrating. Lethpora-Penthachowk Road completion date was Nov 2008 but till Dec 2008 only 42 % work has been done, Humhama-Budgam and Raithon-Arizal Road was to be completed in Dec 2008 but only 21% work done till Dec 2008, Potkhah-Pachar Road Baramulla was to be completed by August 2008 but only 33% work done even till Dec 2008 , Watergram-Behrampora Hib Dangerpora Road has Feb 2009 as dead line but only 25 % work completed till Dec 2008, for Sumbal Markundal-Hajin Madwan Road also Feb 2009 is dead line but only 23 % work done so far, for Singhpora Kanihama Road April 2009 is dead line but only 16% work done so far , for Watergram- Behrampora Road completion date is set Feb2009 but only 25 % work done till Dec 2008 and for Sopore-Bandipora Road contract is yet to be signed and completion date is being shown as Nov 2010 with xero work on ground.. The ADB Loan project deadline for work on ground to be completed by ERA is June 2009 but ERA website is showing completion date for some projects even Dec 2010
For remodeling G.M Pora & Trespone link roads at Kargil (5.7 km ) dead line is Feb 2009 but only 45% work has been done till Dec 2008. Similarly for Circular road & Goma Kargil Road (5km ) target date is March 2009 but only 10% construction has been done and even design work is incomplete. For Tyari Rong to Jiva Tsal Road ( 3.60 KM ) Kargil work has not even been started till December 2008 and similarly for main Tckcha Road and Internal Roads at SkamPari Colony Leh Work has not started yet.
The intentions need be questioned by the voter atleast this time.
Should not the people ignore the promises being made once again by those who have been in the power seat over six decades? Tall claims being made for development over even last 3 years and three shift working surely do not stand any where on the ground.
Jammu Province has been given no place worth taking note in Tourism Promotion literature of J&K Same is the case with Kishtwar Saffron and the Valleys & Forests of Bhaderwah / Kishtwar .Mr. A.R Zargar , the then Agriculture Minister in J&K Government had on 11-03-2005 informed the house that Kishtwar Saffron ( kesar) being superior in quality to Kashmiri ( Pompore ) kesar sells in the market for over Rs.400 per tola (10.7 grams) whereas the Kashmir kesar sells only for Rs. 200 per tola (10.7 grams). He had proposed for allocation of funds for taking up programmes for improvement of quality of Kashmiri kesar.. Bhadherwah is called mini Kashmir but no effort is made worth selling it in tourist market outside J&K. To many it may be a news that before 1947 and a few years there after the upper reaches of Kathua District of Jammu Province did produce even Cherry in the orchards. I had never tasted as good a peach ( Aardoo ) as had been served to me by Chander Mohan who had then just returned from Poonch. Kishtwar area ( tehsil ) can produce the best apple but who knows ? Treatment given to Kesar of Kishtwar and tourism potential like that of Bhaderwah could be taken as a symbolic representation of the poor treatment given to the development in the agriculture, horticulture, tourism , handicraft , natural forest products and industrial sectors of Jammu Province ..
Over the years only 53 % to 55 % of the MLAs in the J&K Assembly had been from the Kashmir Valley. So it could also be said that most of the MLAs / leaders from Jammu province too have so far toed the line of the Kashmir centric political parties like National Conference and Congress.. Therefore it will not be fair to hold the people of Kashmir Valley fully responsible for the poor promotion of the people and products of Jammu province .There may be even need to reject the old generation leaders and parties .The new leaders could be given some chance with responsibility.
Parts of the block Panchari of Udhampur District and adjoining areas in the past have been covered under three assembly constituencies viz Reasi, Chenani and Udhampur .But even three MLAs have not been able to get he local tourism potential commercially exploited what to talk of development in the education, heath and industrial sector. Like Doda and Rajouri districts the Militants have taken undue advantage of the weak economy of the people of Udhampur District .
During pre 1947 days of the rule of the Maharaja of J&K too nothing was done for promotion of tourism in Jammu Province. Maharaja of J&K too exposed only Kashmir Valley to the outside world .Jammu Province had suffered the most during the 1947 Pakistan sponsored tribal attack on J&K. Educationally and administratively the people and areas of Jammu region are very backward.
Kishtwar and Bhadarwah Tehsils of erstwhile Doda district had and have the bulk of forest wealth of J&K and at least half as large a tourism potential as the Kashmir valley has. But still the people of Kishtwar are economically and educationally most backward. Kishtwar and its surroundings are blessed with ancient and revered shrines, temples and places of great historical importance. Areas around Kishtwar produce Saffron ( kesar) .of quality superior to Kashmir Valley . But hardly even any pilgrim to Vaishnodevi jee may be knowing about Kishtwar kesar what to talk of the tourist visiting the Kashmir Valley. The honey production from the wild natural bee hives ( wall colonies) in Doda District could be rated the best and Doda district produced more natural honey than any other district of J&K. But no wise effort has been done to promote and commercial exploit it.. It was only in Doda District that wild Olive existed and later a Indo Italian project was started in the area .The rare Saffire ( neelam) mine fields are in Paddar in Kishtwar area but very few people know this out side J&K. What to talk of development of Agriculture even the well known prime pulse of Jammu province, Rajmash, has remained neglected .Clandestinely Rajmas is imported from outside the state and is sold to the tourist in the name of Bhaderwahi / Marwah / Poonchi Rajmas.
Development of commercial tourism could provide the fastest relief to the poor economy of the remote areas of Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Rajouri and Poonch .A lot of scope also exists for PILGRIM TOURISM and this could be used to support promotional efforts for Commercial Tourism.
When roads and buildings are constructed more than half of the expenditure goes to buy direct or indirect services from the locals and improves the economic health of the people of the area. The intentions need be questioned by the voter at least now.
(Author is social activist and leading scribe on Kashmir affairs [email protected]) |
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