Pattan lacks basic amenities; residents blame MLA, Govt

Mir IqbalPattan constituency, of Baramulla district, is the victim of Government apathy as it lacks basic amenities including healthcare, drinking water, electricity, education, irrigation, road connectivity and other infrastructure.
The constituency is represented by senior People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, who defeated National Conference candidate Abdul Rashid Saheen by a margin of 11, 000 votes in 2008 Assembly elections. Ansari polled 20, 703 votes and Shaheen 9, 432.
The inhabitants of the constituency said that they have been discriminated by the successive Governments on every front and all the political parties have failed to fulfill their promises.
They said that sectors like roads, drinking water, health care, education and irrigation have been neglected by the Government.
The inhabitants alleged that the ill-planned execution of various Government schemes have not benefited them. “It has, however, benefitted close friends and relatives of political party members and the MLA”, they said.
Residents said most of projects including development of National Highway which bisects Pattan town into two parts, construction of much needed Trauma Hospital, development of SDH Pattan, Irrigation for agricultural land, improvement in education sector and health care were not taken up seriously by the MLA.
The inhabitants said that majority of the accidents occur in and around Pattan town on National Highway connecting Srinagar with North Kashmir and majority of the victims die on way to hospital either because of serious injuries or patients stuck in traffic jams.
“Government started construction of Trauma Hospital Pattan at Baba Taing to provide immediate medical treatment to accident victims so as to save lives, but it is still incomplete”, locals said.
The inhabitants told Excelsior: “We met the local MLA several times and requested him to use his personal influence for the completion of hospital, however, he didn’t took any interest,” they said.
Traders Federation Pattan maintained that Sub District Hospital (SDH) Pattan is in shambles as Government has failed to upgrade it. “Despite knowing that Digital X-ray facility is not available in the hospital, doctors recommend digital X-rays to the patients, thus, literally leaving patients at the mercy of private clinics that have mushroomed in the town,” they said.
They said that there is no child specialist available in the hospital and patients are referred to Srinagar.
“Recently, a pregnant woman died after doctors showed their helplessness due to the non-availability of essential equipments in the hospital,” a health official in the hospital said, adding, “majority of the accident patients can be saved if there would have been sufficient facilities available in hospital. Accident victims die on the way to tertiary hospital as they lose blood once caught in traffic for hours.”
The inhabitants said that almost all the health centers in the constituency are either without staff including doctors and paramedics or lack proper infrastructure and medicines.
The education sector in the constituency is also neglected as the locals alleged that it has received a big jolt under the present Government and the students have to suffer because of the lack teaching staff and other infrastructure.
The inhabitants also accused their MLA for his failure to upgrade Girls High School to Higher Secondary.
The inhabitants of main town Pattan said Municipal Committee is defunct. “Municipal Committee has failed to construct a public toilet and drains in the town,” they said.
Locals alleged that illegal construction, encroachment of roads at many places have been carried out by some influential people in nexus with Municipality and local politicians.
Ashraf-ul-Hassan, a local resident of the area told Excelsior that the area reels under darkness most of the times due to frequent and unscheduled power cuts.
He said, electric poles and wires at many places were not repaired for decades posing threat to lives in many villages and at places wires are tied to trees.
The area also faces water scarcity. “Taps remain dry almost 22 hours a day despite the main source of tape water being near Tangmarg, few kilometers away,” they said.
The farmers said the area lacks proper irrigation facilities. “We fear that this season paddy and other crops may yield lesser produce due to the scarcity of water in the area,” they said.
Farmers have been demanding construction of irrigation canal, which MLA has failed to construct. “The construction of irrigation canal in the area for supplying water to farmland has been the long pending demand of farmers. More than 50 villages in the constituency would have been benefitted by the canal”, they said.
Farmers said a large portion of agriculture land falls in hilly areas and the farmers have to rely on rainfall and in case it fails the crops are worst hit in absence of irrigation facility.
They said a natural spring in Pattan has been polluted and Government has failed to preserve it.
Locals said that the politicians have learned the art of luring “poor” voters by sanctioning Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for construction of fencing for grave yards in villages or sanctioning of transformers to the villagers.
The major intra-constituency roads are in dilapidated condition and commuters have to face a lot of inconveniences every day. Link roads of Boran, Zangam, Hanjiwera, Trikolbal, Palhalan, Wusan, Goshbug, Palpora, Nehalpora-Darwesh Bagh, Magray Pora, Uglar, Sherbag, Tengpora, Guhul, Yetipora, Ghat, Gopalan, Lolipora, Check e Jahangirmir, Chanderham, Audergam, Nila, Pakipora and other dozens of villages and hamlets are in dilapidated condition.
Residents of Model Town Palhalan said only the main gate was erected on the roadside of the village, but nothing changed inside the village and other dozens of neighbouring villages. They said street lights are lying defunct since the day these were installed, nobody turned to village to repair them.
Ghulam Mohammad, a local resident said that 10 years ago a Block veterinary Office was opened, but so far it is non-functional. “Palhalan area has more than 50, 000 population and the only Allopathic Dispensary in the village has not been upgraded for decades now’, he said.
The inhabitants of Palhalan said that they are being harassed and for any untoward incident in the area, security forces make youth of Palhalan target. “We don’t feel secure in the area, for any minor incident in the area, we became scapegoats,” they said.
The inhabitants of the village said successive Government and MLAs have failed to win the hearts of people here.
MLA Pattan, Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari said that Rs 650 lakhs have been spent on various works like construction of roads, interior links, construction of bathrooms, latrines, development of public parks, construction of retaining walls, fencing of graveyards in the constituency during last five years.
“On power sector Rs. 628 lakhs were spent on creation of 52 new Sub-Stations in Pattan constituency, augmentation of 28 existing sub-stations to higher capacity, improvement of HT and LT wires, creation of 38 sub-station under RGGVY scheme along with LT and HT wires and augmentation of receiving station Pattan, Hamray and Singpora,” MLA said.
He said that in PHE, Irrigation, Flood Control and Mechanical Department, Tube wells at Yedipora, Ghat Palhalan, Sohkul Goashbugh, Trikolbal Hanjiweera and Shirpora were constructed. “Work is on Chaku Gohal, Wussan Aglar, Rambail Chinar, Singhpora Hartreth (Grauity), Check Sultanpora, Regional water supply scheme Parihaspora, Mirgund-Mirchmar water supply scheme and Shah Mohalla Pannzinara water supply schemes,” he said.
MLA said that Rs 582 lakhs has been spent on irrigation and flood control at B.C. Weir Budhinugh, Goashbugh Orchards lift irrigation scheme, Raqba Bowl lift irrigation scheme, Mirchamar lift irrigation scheme, Baliharan lift irrigation scheme, augmentation of lift irrigation scheme Check Harwan and augmentation of lift irrigation scheme Neejikhai.
“We carried work on Mechanical Irrigation in Sohkal Goashbug lift irrigation scheme, Gosibugh old lift irrigation scheme, Mirchamar- Mirgund lift irrigation scheme, Rakhibowl Pattan, Madyari Pattan,” he said. “Rs 420 lakh were spent on 240 hand pumps and dug wells in the constituency”, said Ansari.
MLA said 82 new Anganwadi centers were opened during last five years where 82 workers and equal number of helpers have been adjusted. “750 cases were sanctioned as old aged pension in the constituency in these years on which Rs 10 crore was spent and Scholarship worth Rs 350 lakhs were sanctioned to students,” he said.
“In Rural Development Department, Rs 395 lakhs were sanctioned to poor families for the construction of shelters under Indira Awaz Yojana (IAY) scheme. Under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan Scheme individual house hold latrines were sanctioned and 10 Panchayat Ghars were constructed”, said the MLA.
In agriculture sector Rs 337 lakhs were spent during MLA’s tenure on Micro Management Mode, Agriculture land, ISOPOM, seed village, RKVY, horticulture mission, construction of reservoir wall, protection Bund, Brest wall and other schemes. “Under ATMA scheme many farmers were benefitted,” he said.
Ansari said that Rs 79 lakhs were spent on the construction of sheep and husbandry buildings, subsidy to shepherds, distribution of feed and fodder and medicines.
The MLA said he spent Rs 75 lakhs during last five years on lanes, interior links, roads, footpaths and drains. “I spent Rs 95 lakhs for the conservation of soil by constructing check dams, boundary walls,” he said. “Several roads like Pattan Mandyari road, Yedipora, Hyderbaigh, via Nilla Pallapora to Wanigam Pattan, Panzinara, Dewar-Yakhanpora, Gohaltengpora and several other link roads were constructed during past 5 years”, he added.
“Some of the vital projects are under construction including Court Complex Pattan and Trauma Hospital Pattan,” the MLA said.
Ansari said half a dozen bridges were constructed during last five years in the constituency including Zadi Mohallah Bridge, Bonichakal Bridge, Mirgund Bridge, Baliharan Bridge, Palpora Bridge and Mandyari Bridge.
The MLA said High School building at Nehalpora, additional accommodation for high school Andergam, additional five rooms for high school Shirpora, Compound walling at Government Middle School Palhalan, four seated toiled at Higher secondary school Palhalan, 19 kitchen at different schools, drains with filling and levelling of play ground at Khambiyaar and BMS Wanigam was done in past 5 years.
He said that additional accommodation to High School Pattan, fencing of Archanderhama Pattan, fencing Police Station Narpora, 31 school buildings with three rooms, 198 additional class rooms in different schools, 148 girls toilet, 25 rooms for head teachers, Middle School Tengpora, Middle School TK Balla Pattan, Middle School Mamoosa, Middle School Sultanpora, Middle School Tappar waripora and Middle School Shirpora were constructed during past 5 years.
The MLA said 33 new primary schools were opened under SSA, 21 primary schools were upgraded as Middle schools, 78 EGS were converted into primary schools, scores of middle schools were upgraded as High Schools and 268 teachers were engaged in these schools under ReT pattern.

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