Jammu, April 09: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) is facing a manpower crunch following the official transfer of 88 public parks from the department of Floriculture, Gardens and Parks, raising concerns about the upkeep of green spaces across the city.
The transfer of parks to SMC was confirmed in a written response to a query raised by the National Conference MLA Shamim Firdous. As per the reply, the move was made in accordance with Administrative Council decision number 128/20/2020, dated September 23, 2020 and formalised through Government order number 27-JK(Flori) of 2020, issued on December 22, 2020.
“The decision to hand over the parks to the SMC is in line with the Constitution (Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1992, which mandates the devolution of powers and responsibilities to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) for improved grassroots governance and localised administration,” the government reply reads.
However, the government acknowledged that the SMC currently lacks sufficient staff to adequately maintain all 88 parks. “To temporarily address the issue, personnel from the Floriculture Department have been deputed to assist the Corporation. In addition, SMC is reportedly deploying its own internal resources to manage routine maintenance work,” the reply states.
The government further said that that the primary aim of the transfer was to empower the SMC for more efficient and responsive park management. “Yet, the existing staff shortage is proving to be a significant obstacle in achieving those objectives,” the reply reads.
Residents and civic observers have expressed concern over the potential decline in park maintenance standards, especially given the importance of these public spaces in an urban setting like Srinagar. The situation has highlighted the need for urgent recruitment drives, increased funding and strategic planning to ensure that the intended benefits of decentralised governance are fully realised.
