Director Local Bodies Kashmir assures action
Abrar A. Mattoo
SRINAGAR, July 27: Some thirty kilometers away from Srinagar, Charar-I-Sharief is the most iconic town in Kashmir. The place houses the final resting place of Kashmir’s greatest Sufi Saint, Hazrat Sheikh Noor-Din-Norani (R.A). Thousands of believers from all over the valley throng the place on Fridays and around other Muslim sacrosanct days throughout the year.
However, despite its importance, the residents feel that the town has been left unattended in terms of sanitation, especially ever since the new municipal administrator took charge of the office. The residents allege that the new municipal administrator is apathetic towards his duty and hardly oversees the sanitation of the town.
“Our town is one of the most important towns in Kashmir. Believers from all over the world come to visit the shrine of Hazrat Sheikh-Ul-Alam. But the sad part is that our streets are always littered with garbage. There is not a single installed dustbin in the whole town. The Municipal Committee dumps the town’s garbage into the ravines surrounding the shrine, but nobody takes cognizance of this deliberate defacement of this historic town,” Sheikh Adil Tramboo, a local scholar lamented.
The residents allege that ever since the new municipal administrator was posted in the town, the situation has gone from bad to worse. They say that he rarely shows at duty and barely takes note of the failing sanitation of the town.
“I have visited a couple of times to the office of the municipal administrator Charar-I-Sharief to complain about the sanitation process and lack of dustbins, but the official is always missing. I assume that he rarely shows at duty. We have never seen him in town. Though our municipal councilor is a local resident, but he has no jurisdiction over the sanitation process. It’s the administrator’s job, and he lacks competence,” said Zubair Wani, a local journalist.
However, when Kashmir Despatch attempted to reach Mirza Asif, Municipal Administrator Charar-I-Sharif over the concern and grievance voiced by the people of Charar-I-Sharief, the official refused to comment and feigned ignorance.
Consequently, Kashmir Despatch reached the Director of Urban Local Bodies, Mathoora Masoom with the people’s complaint and she promised to call the official to her office and settle the issue.
“This office has duly taken cognizance of the fact that people of Charar-I-Sharief are not happy with the sanitation and deliverance of their Municipal administrator. Rest assured the people’s issue would be settled in earnest,” the officer added in assurance.
