Former Finance Minister Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Tuesday urged the governor led administration to ensure the sufferings of people for want of basic amenities are reduced especially in the Srinagar city.
“Normally the administration was expected to be on toes in view thesanctity of month of Ramadan. But people of the city are decrying aboutdilapidated roads, pesky power situation, skyrocketing of prices of essentialitems and acute shortage of potable water,” he observed.
Bukhari said the Srinagar Municipal Corporation seems to be in deepslumber as hundreds of stray dogs are on prowl in different areas of the city.
“School going children and old aged persons are under constant threat ofdog bites. Presence of large number ofstray dogs especially during morning and evening hours hampers the movement ofpeople who fear to attend congregational prayers in mosques,” he remarked,while demanding effective measures for controlling fast growing population ofstray dogs in the city.
He said that since the first day of Ramadan, people in the valleyespecially in various parts of Srinagar city have been facing frequent powercuts and unprecedented price hike in essentials.
“The power cuts at the time of Sehri and Iftaar are giving a tough timeto the people. Despite announcements by the district administration aboutformation of committees to check the undue price rise, the people are beingcompelled to purchase the essential items at exorbitant rates in absence of anyeffective mechanism on the ground,” he added.
The former minister demanded that the price list of all essential itemsincluding fruits, vegetables and other Ramadan specific items like Dates etcshould be conspicuously displayed at all market places and shops.
Similarly, he said that roads in various parts of city especially thelink roads in Chanapora, Mehjoor Nagar, Natipora, Naikbagh, Eidgah, Noorbagh,Firdous Abad, Bal Garden, Nund Reshi Colony Bemina, Shalteng, Sonwar are indilapidated condition.
“Today is the eighth day of the holy month of Ramadan, however ourproblems keep on compounding as the government seems to be making people tosuffer for want of potable water, electricity, availability of essential itemsand smooth roads,” Bukhari said.
Bukhari also emphasized on the administration to provide hassle freeparking facilities at various places in particular near the prominent mosquesand shrines in the city.
He also demanded the repair of street lights wherever found defunctespecially on the roads and allied links leading to mosques and shrines in thecity so that people don’t face any difficulty during evening and early morninghours.