After Back to Village programme which was meant for the villages government started similar programme for towns with a name “My Town, My Pride” on 19th and 20th October. This program was also organised at Thathri town of Doda district and all departments were present in the similar way like in Block Diwas. Residents of Thathri who trusted their councilors participated in this program and screamed their demands in front of officers. Many small issues raised there were redressed on spot but the major issues of Thathri such as defunct streets lights, seprate Power Station, Bus Adda, Shifting of Work of Drainage aside of NH244 from out of population to market area first, Blacktopping on Hospital to Post office road and Special Division of Various departments attached with Kishtwar district are those issues which are supposed to be solved within days because the simplest solutions were proposed there too. While other issues like College Building etc were raised also but everyone knows it may take time. The issues were raised by various councilors, social activists and others have many common demands which includes Defunct Street Lights, Bus Stand, College Building and worst Drainage system alongwith National Highway 244 in the town and unstable system of various departments in sub division Thathri. The unstable system of various departments in which various departments’ divisional office is located at Kishtwar district including JKPDCL, PHE (Jal Shakti), Irrigation and Flood Control, E.O Town etc.
Thathri is one of the smallest town in Jammu and Kashmir but as per various demands in this and previous programs, it is highly discriminated town and a sub division in J&K. Despite of being sub division, this town do not possess any Govt Higher Secondary School, proper College building, Bus Adda (Bus Stand) or any kind of private or public vehicle parking and the various other genuine demands which were raised by the councilors and people which also includes Sub Divisions of various departments is linked to Kishtwar district. However, Thathri is a central place of number of tehsils and located in the centre of twins districts and National Highway 244 passed between town but the system of departments is totally defunct and unstable.
Meanwhile, the reason behind slow pace redressal of issued were told as lack of men power in respective departments. This reason was heard by author from departments during various stories in 2019, All phases of Back to Village programs and other occasions but the questions are why this deficiency is still there after years? Why Municipal Committee Thathri don’t have permanent electricians? Why PDD(now JPDCL) have less employees? Why power cuts increases in winters? Why R&B not shifted work of drainage to main market? Why no pipes are being issues still after three months of tendering new supply line for main town?
As majority of people boycotted Back to Village programs because the issues raised in B2V were not resolved after wasting money on organising that program. Similarly, people are now angry with My Town My Pride and thinking to boycott this program genuinely as major issues which were supposed to be solved in days were not resolved till date. Will government act or waste the money again? People are waiting for government response.
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Anzer Ayoob is the Founder and Chief Editor to The Chenab Times
