Sopore residents up in arms against government’s apathy
Peerzada Waseem
Sopore : The construction of mini-secretariat in north Kashmir’s apple town- which is also known as Chota London- still remains a dream.
Residents of town told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that their pleas for setting up a mini- secretariat- housing all offices under one roof- have fallen on deaf ears.
“ We have approached authorities umpteen times to establish a mini- secretariat in the town for convenience of the local population but nobody listens us . This town has been neglected by successive regimes of Jammu & Kashmir,” they said.
President Sopore Traders Federation Hashimtullah told KNO that they had raised the demand with divisional commissioner Kashmir several times.
“Whenever we approached they tell us that they would look into the matter . How long we will have to wait for mini- secretariat?” he asked.
In his tenure as Additional Deputy Commissioner Sopore Khurshaid Shah had identified 52 kanals of land in cooperative garden Sopore for the mini secretariat .
According to sources, he prepared a detailed project report of mini-secretariat with a budget of Rs 48 crore, but office of deputy commissioner Baramulla returned it, recommending changes in it.
The revised DPR reduces the cost of project to Rs 22 crore. When contacted,Additional Deputy Commissioner Sopore Parvaiz Sajad told KNO they are pursuing the proposal .
“We are working on it. People will soon get a good news,” he said, adding that he had discussed the issue with advisor Baseer Ahmad Khan—(KNO)
