Srinagar: Chairman of the Kargil Hill Development Council Dr Muhammad Jaffar Akhoon on Sunday alleged that Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta has been consistently overlooking Kargil district in developmental planning and official engagements. Speaking to reporters, he said the LG’s approach reflects a clear preference for a particular district while Kargil’s concerns remain unaddressed.
Dr Akhoon, as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust, said that several important projects for Kargil have either been delayed or sidelined, including the proposed Engineering College and ongoing works on the Degree College at Sankoo. He added that the long-pending issues related to Kargil Airport have also remained unresolved due to what he described as administrative indifference.
He said that discriminatory patterns are visible in the implementation of projects across the region. According to him, works originally sanctioned for Kargil are being executed in another district, leaving Kargil without its rightful share of development.
“Kargil is being completely ignored. We do not figure anywhere. Whenever the LG meets central ministers, he forgets Kargil,” Dr Akhoon said. He added that discrimination had seen some reduction during the tenure of the previous Lieutenant Governor, but the situation under the present administration has worsened.
He said recent press releases from Raj Bhavan indicate repeated focus on a particular district while Kargil’s demands and proposals find no mention. “This does not fit the Prime Minister’s slogan of sab ka saath, sab ka vikas, sab ka vishwas,” he said.
Dr Akhoon said that he is not opposing the development of any other district but wants equitable attention. He said Kargil has no say in major decisions since key issues concerning the district are not raised in official interactions. He pointed out that when the LG met the Union Sports Minister and the Union Health Minister, there was no discussion about Kargil and the focus again remained on one district.
The Hill Council chairman appealed for fair consideration of Kargil’s developmental needs and said the district must be treated on par with others in the Union Territory. [KNT]
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