Srinagar, Dec. 1: The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has been in a mess for the last few months, causing inconvenience to the people in general.
Rising Kashmir has reported several complaints where people have alleged that their developmental works are getting affected due to the tussle between the mayor, deputy mayor, and corporators.
Danish Aziz, a resident of Batmaloo, told Rising Kashmir that the tussle between the elected corporators directly impacts the common people as development work gets halted.
He stated that their elected corporators’ statements are going unheard by the corporation’s top officials due to a squabble among the corporation’s members.
“Instead of helping the people, the corporations are busy giving press conferences against each other.These people were elected for the benefit of common people, but instead of helping them, they are busy with other things,” Ahmad added.
Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu is leaving no stone unturned in accusing the National Conference of disrupting the corporation and also alleging that the deputy mayor has amassed vast wealth through corruption.
Mattu also accused the NC of forming a secret alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party and claiming that they spoke the same language as the BJP. The mayor has stated that the NC seasonally owns its corporators, despite these corporators joining in the presence of the NC brass.
The deputy mayor, Parvaiz Qadri, has also reacted to the mayor’s claim and said that the “city mayor is incompetent and is unable to run the corporation smoothly, which is creating a mess in the SMC.”
The BJP corporator Nazir Ahmad Gilkar has also held a presser against the city mayor, saying the mayor has some selective areas where he is providing every facility while the rest of the people are left high and dry.
Altaf Thakur, BJP Chief Spokesman in Kashmir, stated shortly after the press conference that the BJP corporator held the press conference in his capacity. Altaf said the party has nothing to do with it. He continued that the PAGD gang and the BJP won’t go together, and we have many differences.
Gilkar has contested the spokesman’s claim by stating that he is withdrawing his support for the sitting mayor even if he will be expelled from the party.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Gilkasar said that he will stand by his words even if he is expelled by the party. He continued that he is elected by the people and is answerable to the public.
“The general public is not aware of the internal funds of the corporation; it is we people who have all the details, and when we are seeking funds for our respective wards, we are being given different reasons, while the development works in their respective areas are going smoothly.”
Despite many attempts to reach the in-charge SMC Commissioner, he was available for his comments.
