A prominent civil society activist Peerzada Sahil Sunday said that administration should stop stepson-like attitude towards central Kashmir’s Budgam district.

Sahil’s statement came in wake of shifting of a under construction 500 bedded hospital in district’s Reshipora area to south Kashmir’s Khonmoh area in district Anantnag.
“I want to bring to your notice the stepson-like attitude shown towards Budgam district should be stopped,” Sahil wrote to LG Sinha on Sunday.
Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir administration had proposed a 500 bed Covid Care Center in Reshipora area. The locals of the area allege that under some influential people the under construction hospital is being shifted to south Kashmir’s Khonmoh area in district Anantnag.
Sahil said that despite being one of the oldest districts, Budgam lags in terms of development. He said that the same thing is being planned with respect to the proposed construction of a 500 bed hospital at Reshipora.
“Work on this project has already been undertaken as the land has been identified for it in Reshipora and it has also been cleared of trees. But now some influential people are trying to get it shifted somewhere else,” Sahil said.
Sahil said the officials are citing technical reasons in defence of shifting it out of the district.
“It is being done under pressure from some influential quarters. The place where they are proposing to shift it is an industrial area full of stone quarries and other industrial units and therefore totally unsuitable for this on account of high levels of pollution there,” Sahil wrote to LG.
He said that it is being done under pressure from some influential quarters.
“In case this technical ground proves to be genuine one, even then we have land available at Patwao, Pallar, Ichhigam and Rakh Arath in our own district,” Sahil said.
“I request your kind self to please ensure that justice is done with Budgam by getting this hospital constructed at Reshipora or in case of technical difficulties, at any of the other places mentioned above. The government plans to use it as Covid hospital and then as regular hospital,” Sahil said.
“People of Budgam strongly oppose this move and we want it to be constructed at Reshipora. We are deeply hurt by the shifting of the hospital. This news also affected our Eid celebrations which were already subdued because of Covid pandemic,” said Feroz Hussain, a resident in Budgam.
Meanwhile, Chairman District Development Council Budgam Nazir Ahmad Khan said that district Budgam has faced an immense development crisis.
“Budgam has faced an immense development crisis, with the majority of its sectors remaining unexplored. Khonmoh is a catchment area for AIIMS, Awantipora. There is a need to rethink as far as establishing health institutions are concerned,” Nazir Ahmad said.
He said there are medical colleges in the south and north regions of the valley and tertiary care healthcare in Srinagar. “Budgam deserves its share,” he said.
He said that in today’s an unprecedented crisis, the people of Budgam must be your foremost priority.
“I urge you to do everything to stop the needless suffering that our people are going through and rethink as far as establishing health institutions are concerned,” Nazir urged LG Sinha