Pulwama, Aug 26: The construction work on Mini Secretariat at Tral sub division of Pulwama district which was started in March 2018 but left midway has not been completed yet after more than four years.
The purpose of the mini secretariat at Tral was to provide administrative services to the residents of 105 villages of Tral at their door steps.
The work on the building was started in March 2018 by JKPCC but was stopped after one year in 2019.
According to locals, people in most of the villages of Tral were suffering for all basic facilities and they were very happy after the work on the mini secretariat was started.
Locals complained that the under construction and abandoned building is now surrounded and engulfed by bushes and even trees have grown in and around the structure.
“The announcement of the mini secretariat had given us a lot of hopes and expectations but the work was stopped mid way. For the last three years the work remains completely stopped now and no one knows when the work will be restarted” Ishfaq Ahmad Kar, a local resident said.
“Tral is about 30 kilometers from Pulwama and residents of remote areas face immense hardships while getting their work done from Pulwama and the residents heaved a sigh of relief after the construction of a mini secretariat,” he said.
Locals blamed that the authorities have been ignoring the basic needs and hardships of Tral sub division.
“Mini secretariat was a demand and need but we want to know that authorities sanctioned a mini secretariat for Tral in 2017 and later work was started in March 2018 but why was the work stopped and why was the project not completed?” asked Trilok Singh, a resident.
As per the official records, a total amount of 640.90 lakh rupees was approved for the construction in 2017 and later the work was allotted to Jammu and Kashmir projects construction corporation (JKPCC).
However the construction agency JKPCC officials said that the work was stopped only due to unavailability of funds.
“Around 1.20 crore rupees was spent by the agency but only 1 crore rupees were released by the revenue department” Deputy General Manager JKPCC Shabir Ahmad told Greater Kashmir.
“The DPR for the rest of the work and amount was sent to the authorities but the DPR has not been approved yet so the work could not be restarted as we have no funds”.
He said that the agency has written to the authorities for funds and as soon as they get the funds, the agency will restart the construction work.
ADC Tral Shabir Raina while talking to Greater Kashmir said, “I have brought the issue into the notice of Commissioner secretary Revenue and I hope by end of this financial year the work will be restarted”.