Baramulla, Mar 2: Despite Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Ali Muhammad Sagar claiming that 115 villages across JK have been turned into model villages, 13 such villages in this north Kashmir district are without basic amenities.  
 Inner lanes and by lanes of Kitchamma model village, 7 kilometres from Baramulla town, are in shambles. “Minor precipitation inundates almost all the lanes and by lanes of this model village,” said a local.
 Kitchamma model village having population of 2500 souls has only one dispensary with no doctor and a medical assistant. “We have to often struggle to get even a small tablet like Paracatemol for headache. The only staff available at the dispensary is either a multi purpose health worker or Asha worker,” residents said.
 The Rural Information Centre (RIC) in this model village comprises 2 rooms and a single bathroom one storey building was constructed in this village to allow the youths and the villagers to get access through internet to the rest of the world however this information centre remains closed for most of the time and four computers and a generator allotted to this centre are gathering dust in a nearby building of a Government school.
 “This information centre was opened only during Panchayat elections and was used for counting. Rest we have never seen it open” said Abid Ahmad, an under graduate student of the area.
 Situation in another model village Lalpora in Kunzar block of Tangmarg constituency is no different. All the main roads in this model village are in a mess. “Our village is without basic amenities like electricity and healthcare,” locals said.  
 Story of other 11 model villages is no different from Kitchamma and Lalpora. The Rural information Centers established in these model villages have no staff available with the result these have become dysfunctional and the money spent on the purchase of computers has gone down the drain. 
 When contacted Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Bashir Ahmed Bhat said, “I will take up the issue with the officials of the concerned department and see what best can be done.” 

Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 2 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 3 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST