- Bemina residents angry over “inaction” over CM’s directions
SRINAGAR, Nov 14: Residents of Bemina suburb in the outskirts of Srinagar on Monday expressed dismay against the concerned departments of the Jammu and Kashmir government for not meeting their civic demands despite Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s direction.
The residents said they met Mehbooba at a public meeting in Budgam district on October 8 this year under the banner of the Bemina Development and Welfare Forum. They claimed to have presented a list of their demands to her.
“The chief minister had issued on the spot directions to the concerned officials present in the meeting. However, more than a month has passed, but unfortunately not a single demand has been taken care of,” Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, who head the delegation, said in a statement.
Demands raised by the residents in the meeting included a good drainage network from Hyderia Colony Hamdania Colony, construction of toilet blocks, upgradation of Public Health Center, Khomeini Chowk, an ambulance, a well-maintained public park and playground, upgradation of a nearby Government High School to the higher secondary level, ration store, a school in Rakh Arath colony, and repair of faulty power transmission lines in Dargund and Dansoosa areas.
The residents, in the statement, stated, “Bemina Khomeini Chowk is a forgotten neighbourhood of Srinagar. The forlorn area, comprising many small villages and ghettos, has a population of over 15000, but the area has been completely ignored by the government authorities and political representative, which is quite evident from dilapidated roads, poor power infrastructure, lack of proper drainage system, shoddy healthcare service and poor educational infrastructure.”
They alleged that the district administration Budgam has turned a “blind eye” towards the area.
“For the district administration Budgam, Bemina is on another planet. They seem to be least bothered about the problems faced by the people in the area. They only make false promises and employ dilly dallying tactics,” the delegation said.
They sought the Chief Minister’s intervention to redress their grievances in a time bound manner.