Srinagar, Dec 19: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Thursday urged the government to investigate the reasons for slow pace of construction on GMC Handwara and ascertain reasons as to why the location of the hospital is being changed after spending crores on the earlier one.
In a joint statement issued from the party headquarters Nawa-e-Subha, senior party leaders Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan and Sharief ud Din Shariq emphasised the critical issue regarding the delay in the completion of the GMC college project, which was sanctioned under a central scheme.
“The college was supposed to be dedicated to the people in March 2025, but the delay in execution and unfavourable reports from the concerned authorities at the construction site has severely hampered the progress of the project,” they said.
The leaders said the project is situated in an area prone to seasonal flooding due to its proximity to a nearby river. They expressed concern that nearly Rs 170 crore invested in the project has gone to waste due to the issues arising from its unfavourable location. “The construction process started in 2020. The project should not have been built in an area susceptible to floods, especially when other projects elsewhere under the same scheme have been completed and are already operational,” they said.
The NC leaders strongly advocated for the relocation of the project to a more suitable location within a six-kilometre radius of the GMC hospital in Handwara, in accordance with guidelines and regulations.
“The project cannot be moved to another district, as it must be in close proximity to the GMC hospital in Handwara, under whose license it was allocated,” they said.
Ramzan urged the government to expedite the relocation process to ensure that academic activities can commence without further delay.
