Baramulla: The residents of Old Town Baramulla have expressed deep concern over the lack of developmental programmes in the area.
While highlighting their issues, they said the road connecting Azad Gunj with Narathal Baramulla remains in shambles for years. They said despite repeated requests to the Baramulla district administration, nothing has been done to address the issue, causing great frustration among the residents.
Abdul Hameed, the president of the traders federation in old town Baramulla, said that the road was developed in 2018 by the department of PMGSY Baramulla.
He said soon after the macadamisation of the road, it developed cracks and the agency had to repair it the next year. However, the repair was marred by the use of inferior material, which caused the road to further deteriorate.
“At present, the road has developed huge potholes, causing great inconvenience to the locals. Hundreds of vehicles, including tippers, run on this road day and night, but the authorities do not bother to improve the road condition, leading to frustration among the business community and the local population,” said the president of the Traders Federation of Old Town Baramulla.
The old town of Baramulla is a highly populated area of the district, but it has been witnessing severe problems on account of sanitation, and the proposal for de-congestion of the area has been pending with the Baramulla district administration for the last two decades.
Apart from the road issue, the President of the Traders Federation, Abdul Hameed, highlighted other issues, including the need for washroom facilities at the Drangbal transport stand and Kakar Hamam Baramulla.
“Despite numerous schemes, the administration has not addressed these issues, causing great anguish among the local population,” said Abdul Hameed.
Residents of the old town Baramulla feel that officials of the Baramulla district administration do not visit the area and are ignoring their concerns. “They have not seen any developmental programs in the area in recent years, leading them to feel neglected and forgotten. The authorities’ failure to visit the area is itself a testimony to the fact that there has been no development program for which officials of the administration would have visited,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, another resident of the area.