Ganderbal: The dual control of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and local administration has hampered the development in twin villages of Ganderbal.
Two towns here are facing an identity crisis over decades causing the people to suffer and is affecting the developmental works.
Pandach which is first village of Ganderbal district while entering form Srinagar also called as “Gateway of Ganderbal” and Safapora the last village of district Ganderbal are the two areas which are sandwiched between two districts affecting the development of these area besides the people find it hard to get their day to day issues redressed.
According to the locals, in 2007, when Ganderbal district, the earlier part of the Srinagar, was carved out and made a separate district, Revenue Halqa Pandach was cut off from Srinagar district and adjusted with the newly created district of Ganderbal. However Srinagar Municipal limits were not altered and Pandach continued to be under Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC).This, according to the locals, has created a huge administrative issue for Pandach area.
“Pandach has faced issues on the developmental front and other daily issues due to the dual control over it. . The area falls under municipal limits of Srinagar and under the jurisdiction of revenue district Ganderbal,” senior journalist and local resident Rashid Rahil told Greater Kashmir. He said that the Pandach area has approximately over 20000 of population, adding that they want either to be kept in Ganderbal or Srinagar district. He said that even for the various developmental issues they are forced to shuttle between Ganderbal and Srinagar.
The residents of Safapora, a village bordering the Ganderbal district on the north side, are also agitated over the “no man’s land” status of their locality. Safapora is part of the revenue district Ganderbal but falls under Sumbal assembly constituency which is part of the Bandipora district. However, after the delimitation Safapora now will be part of the assembly constituency Ganderbal.
The inhabitants of Safapora complained that the creation of new districts a few years back has not resolved their grievances.
According to the locals, they are still being forced to approach a number of offices in Bandipora district for official chores. The residents told Greater Kashmir that some years back when Ganderbal and Bandipora were upgraded to district status, Safapora came under Ganderbal district. “But we are still being told by the authorities to approach many departments in Sumbal Bandipora district,” they rued.
A member of the Civil society Safapora Suhail Ahmed told Greater Kashmir that Safapora came under Ganderbal district after the residents’ demands and “the district office was nearer than that of Bandipora for us.”
“We are still being told to approach many Bandipora district and Sumbal tehsil offices like PDD, PHE and R&B,” he said. “This arrangement has torn us apart. We don’t know where to head for a multitude of official tasks. This dual control has halted the development of Safapora.” He said that the Safapora area should be under Ganderbal district for the convenience of the people.
“Surprisingly, the Safapora still is linked with the postal address of Baramulla district (193504) as it was part of Baramulla before 2007,” Mohammad Sidiq, a civil society member said.
He said that they are suffering immensely due to the issue and wanted that it should be “delinked from Baramulla and linked with Ganderbal district for the convenience of the people.” The locals of both Pandach and Safapora areas have sought the intervention of the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir PK Pole in this regard.
The Divisional Commissioner Kashmir P K Pole couldn’t be contacted for comments.