Though there is nothing new in it that bad roads put people to huge difficulties in moving their vehicles on most of the roads in Srinagar city and major parts of Kashmir valley particularly major towns but new to people in Kashmir valley is surely unprecedented delay in resurfacing and macadamisation of bad roads which has in fact doubled the troubles for the people in moving vehicles on roads within and outside Srinagar city. Delay in macadamisation of roads is obviously due to red tapism and negligence in the divisional, circle and other top offices of the R&B department but responsibility for this unprecedented delay in resurfacing and macadamisation of roads can’t be put entirely on R&B departments but the delay in revision of macadamisation rates and hand over of t both the limbs of Jahangir-Chowk Natipora flyover are the other two big causes for the delay. With media reports indicating that J&K ERA ( Economic Reconstruction Agency) is yet to hand over Jahangir Chowk-Rambag flyover to R&B Department (Kashmir) the resurfacing and macadamisation of the damaged stretches of the said flyover are unlikely to taken up till the commencement of next financial year. Unfortunately risks of accidents are rising day after day due to delay in already delayed resurfacing and macadamisation of either of the two wings of Jahangir-Chowk Natipora flyover dotted with potholes because of which the moving vehicles even collide with the side walls of this longest two lane overhead bridge of Srinagar city. Immediate call on this issue by Lt Governor himself alone can give an immediate push to resurfacing and macadamisation of the damaged tracks of this Srinagar fly over. In case of other roads the cause for delay in resurfacing and macadamisation also cannot be put only on Kashmir’s provincial wing of the R&B department but Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) too is equally responsible for the delay in macadamisation of lanes and bye lanes which is matter of huge inconvenience to people in both new and old residential colonies in Srinagar city.
Lapses in execution of funds on developmental works by both panchayat and municipal bodies was noticed in March at the end of the previous financial year. Had the departments and autonomous organsisations connected with the developmental works taken note of the unprecedented lapses noticed in utilisation of funds for developmental works at the end of the previous financial year they would have fast paced all developmental works particularly resurfacing and macadamisation of roads well in advance to avoid lapses in utilisation of developmental funds in future and further inconvenience to people in matters of road connectivity. Never forget that better roads are the only sources of accessibility to basic facilities particularly health and education.
Never forget that while macadamisation of lanes & by lanes of Srinagar city should have been started as early as in the Month of March this year but the city Mayor Junaid Azim Matoo exercising administrative control over R& B Division Srinagar like Water Works Division Srinagar for the last three years is now talking about macadamisation of lanes and bye lanes when almost four months of the current financial year have lapsed. What matters is the fact that lapses in execution of funds on developmental works by both panchayat and municipal bodies was noticed in March at the end of the previous financial year. Had the departments and autonomous organsisations connected with the developmental works taken note of the unprecedented lapses noticed in utilisation of funds for developmental works at the end of the previous financial year they would have fast paced all developmental works particularly resurfacing and macadamisation of roads well in advance to avoid lapses in utilisation of developmental funds in future and further inconvenience to people in matters of road connectivity. Never forget that better roads are the only sources of accessibility to basic facilities particularly health and education.
