Pulwama: Going by the statistics given by District Development Forum, a local voluntary group headed by a retired KAS officer, Abdul Rahim Khan and former president of General Auqaf Pulwama, Ghulam Nabi Malik, Pulwama district is annually contributing 14.46 per cent of total revenue to the J&K in the form of taxes, royalties and other levies.
However, the district was receiving just 1.4 per cent out of these con¬tributions for its development, they said.
The Forum which is now active since last one year in the district is moving from pillar to the post to fight the alleged injustice with nearly five lakh population of the district.
In a memorandum drafted to apprise the senior functionaries of the government regarding the alleged discrimination, the Forum has pinpointed many sectors in the district that are trailing behind in the field of development. As per the memorandum, a copy of which is lying with Greater Kashmir, the circular road project around Pulwama town was taken up in 2002 to overcome the ever increasing traffic rush on the existing road network linking important destinations like Srinagar-Pulwama-Shopian and now the Mugal Road up to Rajouri.
“The project is, however, being executed at snail's pace as the land acquisition process from Dangarpora to Reshwani has been hampered due to scarcity of funds as stated by Revenue department and R&B officials,” the memorandum said. Referring to transport service, the Forum has expressed concern over non-availability of KMDA and Tata 407 vehicles in and around the towns of the district including Pulwama, Pampore, Tral and Awantipora resulting in charging of exorbitant rates by Sumo and taxi operators.
The memorandum reveals that the PHE department was without the office of executive engineer in the district resulting in prolonged delay in disposal of complaints about water shortage. The memorandum further reads: “The present water supply schemes have not been upgraded causing inconvenience to a vast section of population in the district. The district headquarter is having just a single safe drinking Water Supply Scheme and no alternative scheme has been commissioned despite reminders. The irrigation channel traversing from Pulwama town has turned into a garbage dump as the approach of Irrigation and Flood Control department is said to be casual and callous.”
The Forum has also pointed out the poor drainage network in the district and termed it a major threat to the environment. “The Urban Engi¬neering and Environment Department is non-functional in the towns,” the Forum alleged.
It said other demands and grievances included: lane and road widen¬ing, drainage and sewerage problems, power grid station, opening up of PG classes in degree colleges at Pulwama and Tral, super specialty hospital, round the clock theater service in existing district hospital.
The Forum has alleged that the Municipal Committee has failed to create separate terminals for matadors, load carriers and Sumos. “No parking space has been established in the town causing frequent traffic jams in the area.”
The Forum has also expressed dismay on frequent power cuts during summers and winters, non-availability of DFO's post in the Forest department. It also demanded shifting back of vari¬ous district offices to Pulwama that were established in Shopian in 1980.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST