Srinagar, Jan 03 (KNO): The Progressive Citizens Forum on Saturday strongly pitched for granting district status to Awantipora, underlining the town’s deep historical roots and its fast-emerging role as a major administrative, educational and institutional hub in south Kashmir.
Addressing a press conference, members of the forum said, "Awantipora occupies a prominent place in Kashmir’s history, dating back to ancient times when it was the capital of Jammu & Kashmir and has in recent years witnessed unprecedented growth in terms of infrastructure, population and institutional presence."
Despite this expansion, they said, the town continues to function under administrative constraints that hinder efficient governance and timely public service delivery.
“Aurantipora, historically known as Awantipora, has been a seat of civilisation and culture for centuries. Today, it has transformed into one of the most important institutional centres in the Valley,” a forum member said. “The presence of premier institutions like AIIMS Awantipora and the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) has given the town national and international recognition.”
The forum pointed out that apart from these major institutions, Awantipora hosts several government and semi-government offices, catering not only to local residents but also to people from neighbouring areas.
According to the members, the increasing population pressure and administrative workload have made it imperative to upgrade Awantipora’s status.
“Despite fulfilling many parameters required for a district—such as population size, geographic importance and institutional concentration—Awantipora is still being administered under its existing framework, which causes delays in decision-making and public grievance redressal,” another member said.
The forum said that granting district status would decentralise administration, ensure faster implementation of development projects and make governance more accessible to the people.
District status will bring offices closer to the public, reduce dependence on distant district headquarters and help address day-to-day issues in a more efficient manner, the members said.
They further stressed that the move would also promote balanced regional development in the south Kashmir by creating new employment opportunities and boosting economic activity in the area.
Appealing to the government to acknowledge what they termed as the “legitimate and long-pending aspirations” of the people, the Forum urged the authorities to initiate the process for granting district status to Awantipora at the earliest.
“This is not merely a demand, but a genuine public need rooted in history, growth and future potential. We hope the government will take a pragmatic and people-centric decision in the larger public interest,” it said. (KNO)