Tangath villagers in Bandipora without basic amenities
The tribal villagers of Tangath, living in the hilly terrain of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, are deprived of basic amenities.
The villagers complain of facing severe hardships due to the lack of water, proper roads, electricity, and health care. They also claim that the government housing schemes have not reached them because of the local officials’ negligence and favoritism in selecting the beneficiaries.
“We have no water supply; the stream that used to flow through our village has dried up long ago. It used to help us grow fodder for our cattle and corn for our bread. Our cattle also depended on it for drinking,” said Nazir Ahmad Khan, a villager.
The villagers said that they had to walk or travel to Bandipora to seek medical attention, as there was no proper health facility in their area.
Quba Khan, another elderly villager, said that the absence of bridges and good road connectivity had made their lives miserable.
They also expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of a government veterinary center and other essential departments, which prevented them from availing the benefits of government schemes meant for the poor. Khan also demanded that the officials responsible for implementing the housing schemes in the village should be held accountable so that the scheme could benefit the needy.
Sports enthusiasts decry delay in construction of facilities
The cricket and sports enthusiasts, as well as those involved in the field, in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, are unhappy with the delay in the construction of a pavilion and an indoor hall at S K stadium.
According to the details, a tender worth over two crores was issued for the construction of the buildings, but no progress has been made on the ground.
“We had even identified the locations where the pavilion and the indoor hall would be built inside the stadium, but the work has not started yet, despite the tenders being issued three months ago,” said Raja Saleem, a cricketer.
He added that there was no clarity on whether the work would start or not, as nothing was happening in this regard.
Those associated with cricket in the district said that the sports council engineers had also assured them that the work would begin soon, but it hasn’t. They said that the winter season, with almost no sports activities and dry weather, was ideal for the construction work, with minimal disturbance. They appealed to the authorities concerned to initiate the construction as soon as possible.