Srinagar: Heavy snowfall this year has left roads across Kashmir in dilapidated condition.
Most roads across the Valley have developed big pot holes and are in shambles.
The Road and Building Departments seems helpless as these roads cannot be repaired till the weather improves. “The distances that could have been covered in short time have turned long as it’s not easy to traverse through the Valley roads,” said a commuter.
A transporter said that link roads are in pathetic condition and it looks like that it will take lot of time for these to roads to get repaired. “Till these roads are repaired we will have to move along,” he said, adding that their vehicles are also facing depreciation due to these roads being in a pathetic condition.
According to the contractors many roads were damaged due to JCBS and tractors that were used for clearing the snow.
Officials are of the opinion that full-fledged repairs of the roads cannot be undertaken till the sun starts shining properly. “Repair works cannot be carried out during the inclement weather conditions. All of us are aware of the fact that snow is followed by rains and temperatures become stable by May,” said an official of the R&B Department.
An expert said that roads would not have suffered such huge damages had Kashmir been equipped with the sophisticated snow clearance machines.  “Snow is a regular feature in Kashmir but it’s unfortunate that we are not equipped to deal with the situation,” the expert added.
It may be recalled that after Kashmir witnessed heavy snowfall, Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu admitted that Srinagar Municipal Corporation was ill equipped to clear the snow from the lanes of Srinagar city, which exceed 15,000.
He had said that the corporation used its garbage collection equipment to clear the lanes besides shoveling it using its men. “The corporation had ordered snow clearing equipment, but didn’t receive it owing to change in emission norms,” he had said.
An expert said that now the snow has melted but the roads have given up. “The Jammu and Kashmir administration should pay attention towards equipping the SMC and R&B Department to carry out the snow clearance operations smoothly. Winter will come every year and Kashmir witnessing heavy snowfall is nothing unusual. It’s high time for the administration to act to tackle snow as well as its aftermath,” he added.

Srinagar:  The Jammu and Kashmir government has constituted the district development councils after culmination of election process for their chairpersons and vice-chairpersons.

The department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj has issued a notification for constitution of DDCs in all 20 districts of the UT.

“In exercise of the powers conferred by Rule 108-ZP of Jammu & Kashmir Panchayati Raj Rules, 1996, the Government of Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory hereby constitute the district development council(s) for each district of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir bearing the names of elected chairperson, vice-chairperson and members thereof,” reads the notification issued by administrative secretary, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Sheetal Nanda.

The notification carries the names of all 278 elected members along with their constituencies, status and gender.

The DDCs were constituted nearly a week after the election process for key positions of chairperson and vice-chairperson concluded.

In the election, the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration(PAGD) won the chairpersonship of eight DDCs while Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) walked away with the slot in six districts.

The independents bagged the position in three districts while Peoples Conference won the slot in Kupwara district and Apni Party emerged victorious in Srinagar and Shopian districts.

A senior official told The Precious Kashmir that the government is now  working out honorarium for DDC members, chairpersons and VCs.

“We are on the job and would soon notify honorarium. They will get better honorarium than their counterparts in other states,” he said.

In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, chairperson of Zilla Parishad gets Rs 12000 per month, vice chairperson and members respectively get Rs 8000 and Rs 5000.

He said the honorarium of a DDC chairperson would be better than a BDC chairperson, who gets Rs 15000 monthly.

He said the Hospitality and Protocol department would soon amend  the J&K’s warrant of precedence to define status and protocol of DDC chairpersons and members.

It is pertinent to mention BDC chairpersons have been placed at serial number 28 in the warrant of precedence alongside district magistrates, district and sessions judge, major heads of departments, presidents of municipal committees and municipal councils and officers of the rank of brigadier.