Expressing serious concern over the rampant and unplanned constructions going on in the city, Syed Altaf Bukhari, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senior leader and party candidate for Amirakadl constituency has said that Srinagar has witnessed brazen violations of Master Plan in the last over five and a half years of National Conference regime. According to a statement issued to KNS, addressing a workers meeting at Wazabagh Hyderpora, Bukhari lamented that Srinagar which is the heart and face of Kashmir has been ruined because of ill planning, poor administration, rampant corruption and official patronage to land mafia.
“No serious measures were taken by the ruling National Conference in last over five and a half years of its government to prevent illegal constructions in the summer capital. Structures were allowed to come up in violation of BOCA or Master Plan in Srinagar, which is the face of Kashmir and a major tourist attraction,” Bukhari observed.
He said that the lack of political will and non serious approach of ruling National Conference gets reflected by its apathetic attitude towards the institutions like LAWDA and Srinagar Development Authority (SDA).“The LAWDA was headless nearly for a half year until a retired officer was brought in and similar is the case with SDA,” the PDP senior leader remarked. Bukhari said that the misuse of official position and brazen violation of Srinagar Master Plan has forced the judiciary in the state to intervene and to prevent further deterioration of the City.
The PDP candidate for Amirakadl constituency ridiculed the government excuse that most of the violations of Srinagar Master Plan happened when government was busy enforcing law and order during the turmoil in past over two decades. “This is a simple alibi which does not need even common sense to understand. This alibi has now become a hallmark of the National Conference and has been used in past as well by the party while eroding the sanctity the State’s democratic process and disempowering institutions of probity and fairness,” Bukhari observed.
The PDP senior leader said that PDP with a vision of accountability, transparency and fairness want to take people of the state out from a socio-political and economic quagmire. “PDP has a clear vision on socio-political and economic needs and want to serve people with utmost commitment and sincerity. Mufti Mohammad Sayeed led three years of PDP government was a litmus test of our party’s agenda and policies. Not only people felt relieved from chains of oppression but also benefited from its socio-economic measures,” he added. PDP senior leader and state coordinator Abdul Hameed Kosheen, Haji Parvez Ahmad PDP senior leader and district coordinator Srinagar, party senior leader Mohammad Altaf Dar and other party leaders also addressed the meeting. (KNS)