President MC Sopore accuses admin of ignoring council’s pro-people pleas

Baramulla, June 22: President of the Municipal Council of Sopore, Musarat Kar, on Friday accused the administration of failing to provide basic amenities, including electricity and potable water, to the people.
Kar criticised the Lieutenant Governor-led administration for “disregarding the civic council’s pleas and exacerbating the problems faced by the people”.
“The elected municipal council is being ignored, and the people of Sopore have been neglected. The successive governments have neglected the area and now the people at the helm of affairs are doing the same,” she said.
Drawing attention to specific instances of “neglect”, Musarat revealed that a drainage project worth Rs 21 crores was submitted to the government two years ago but the council is yet to receive any funds.
“Additionally, a project under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (Amrut), originally allocated Rs 90 crores, was reduced to Rs 54 crores without any progress in receiving the allocated amount,” she added.
The MC president said the grievances of the local residents extend beyond financial matters. “The lack of water, electricity and deteriorating road conditions have become ongoing challenges for the people of Sopore,” she said.
It is pertinent to mention here that protests have erupted in the Ashpeer, Krankshivan and other localities in Sopore, with residents venting their frustration against the Jal Shakti and Power Development Department (PDD). Locals said that power outages have plagued the area for several days, coinciding with the installation of smart meters, causing immense inconvenience to the residents.
They said the scarcity of potable water has forced residents to travel long distances in search of drinking water. An official of the Jal Shakti department however contradicted the assertions made by the protesters and said there is an adequate water supply to the area.