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Civil Society Forum Handwara threatens agitation over GMC row

  • Aatif Qayoom By Aatif Qayoom
  • Comments 0
  • 26 Sep 2025

Handwara, Sep 25: The Civil Society Forum Handwara on Thursday staged a silent sit-in protest outside the office of Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Handwara, demanding immediate resumption of work on Government Medical College (GMC) at Chogal.

The protesters warned of agitation if authorities failed to act, accusing the administration of neglecting the project despite crores already spent.

The protesters said they had informed the ADC days ago about their plan to submit a memorandum, but the officer remained absent from his office. Officials present at the spot told the gathering that the ADC was occupied with an important meeting. The memorandum was later received by Naib Tehsildar Handwara in presence of Station House Officer Inspector Vilayat Sofi.

The memorandum demanded immediate restart of the stalled GMC project. The forum questioned the government’s reported move to relocate the college to Nutnusa, saying more money would be wasted on land leveling while Rs 103 crore had already been spent at the Chogal site.

 Liaquat Ahmed Khan, president of the Civil Society Forum, said that recent floods had hit Punjab, Jammu, Srinagar and other parts of the country, but that does not mean every major project should be relocated. He added that if the government can spend a few crores on protective walls, there will be no flood threat to the existing site.

Protesters also accused the contractor of shifting construction material from the GMC site elsewhere. They warned that if work does not resume immediately, they will launch street protests and hold the administration responsible.

Locals recalled that during land acquisition, many trees were cut despite resistance from residents. They said landowners gave up their property for the project, and relocating the college now poses serious risks for them.

Civil society member Irshad Ganie demanded accountability from officials who selected the site without assessing its vulnerability to floods. He said they must be booked and money recovered from them if the project is not revived within days. Another protester, echoed the same demand.

Adding to the anger, local residents said, “Crores have already been spent, but the delay is causing losses to people who sacrificed their trees and land.”

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