Zaffer Iqbal
Baramulla, Aug 7 (GNS): A year after tenders were floated, the construction of community bunkers however still continues to remain incomplete in Uri sector in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Local sources in the knowhow of things told GNS that the Roads and Buildings Department floated tenders in July 2020 for the construction of forty-four community bunkers. Among forty-four, bidding file papers forty were approved for Hajipeer sector and four for Boniyar sector respectively.
In Hajipeer sector, they said, fourteen community bunkers were approved for Charunda belt and six for Batgran villages.
However, the construction continues to lie in limbo despite a year, they said.
It has been leant that the pits for construction of three bunkers were dug in October last year however as on date nothing substantial has been done and the things have been left as such.
The pits have been posing a threat for life to the people especially children in the area.
“These days borders are silent after the recent ceasefire agreement between the two armies otherwise it was too difficult for us to survive a single day”, a local said.
“Despite giving a number of reminders to the authorities urging them to complete the construction of bunkers at the earliest, we however have been taken on a ride”, he alleged.
Lal Din Khatana, Sarpanch Charunda said that eight bunkers were approved for their village however none has been completed till date. “Some don’t have slab, some lack washroom and some other basic facilities”, he said.
A local resident of Mothal village said that 6 bunkers were approved for their area in which the work of one bunkers has not been started while 5 other bunkers slab construction has been completed before four months. “But not a single person is able to live in the bunkers because sanitary, fitting and washroom facilities are still pending,” he said.
A local of Hathlanga Ghulam Rasool said that local authorities have failed to finalise the bids for the construction of bunkers in two villages including Sahura and Hathlanga that fall on the ‘zero line’ in forward area of Silikote. “These two villages are worst affected during the cross-LoC shelling”, he said.
Balakote village residents, echoing a similar story, alleged that not a single bunker has been approved in their area till date. “The way authorities have neglected us, seems that this area is not in Uri. We have been left in a lurch,” he said.
When contacted, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) R&B Uri, Imtiyaz Ahmad told GNS that at least twenty community bunkers in Hajipeer Sector of Uri are almost completed. “There is some minor work left on these structures and will be hopefully completed in next fifteen days”, he said.
Work on other structures will also be taken up on a priority basis, he further said. (GNS)
