Residents of Sogam area in Kupwara district observed protest shutdown on Tuesday to draw the attention of the State government to the lack of basic facilities in this far flung area.
The residents in dozens took out a protest march in mainmarket Sogam to highlight the absence of basic facilities like drinking water,adequate electricity, dilapidated condition of roads and absence of BlockMedical Officer in Sub-district Hospital Sogam.
“This area is completely neglected by the successivepolitical parties, neither we have proper macadamized roads, nor proper healthfacilities, adequate water supply and electricity,” said Mudasir Ahmad, alocal.
“The condition of the roads is pathetic. There are potholesall over and some are so dangerous that if anybody falls in them, it can leadto fatal injuries,” he said, adding, the shabby condition of the roads hasirked them the most.
Shabir Ahamd, a driver, told Greater Kashmir, “I am the onlyearning person of my seven-member family. Due to the bad condition of the roads,what I earn in the day I have to spend it on the repairing of my vehiclebecause of the potholes on the roads. The condition of my vehicle is degradingday by day.”
“We are facing immense hardships due to unscheduled powercuts despite paying the charges in time. Students are hit the most due to theabsence of the electricity, we hardly get six hours electricity in a day,” saidTanveer Ahmad, another local.
The adjoining market remained closed to mark their protest,public transport remained off the roads in the area.
The local youths protesting under the banner of Youth PublicForum (YPF) protested in the premises of SDH Sogam against the absence of theBMO, “After the transfer of BMO two months back, another BMO joined after 15days and is absent from that day. With the result we are suffering,” said amember of YPF.
The water pipelines laid by the Public Health EngineeringDepartment are decades old and at some places they are leaking water due tocracks. “The employees are least bothered to repair the cracked pipelines anddue to the cracks, water gets wasted. We have to suffer due to shortage of thedrinking water,” Tawheed Ahmad, member of YPF said.
The residents urged State Governor, Chief Secretary andDivisional Commissioner Kashmir to personally intervene and look into theproblems faced by the people.