Handwara, Dec 15 (KNO): The residents of Chougal, Handwara in north Kashmir's Kupwara district Tuesday blamed the Union Territory administration for unnecessary delaying the work on much awaited Medical College in the district.
A couple of months back, the administration announced a medical college for district Kupwara and the construction site for same was finalized at Chougal, Handwara.
The local population, who owned the property including the walnut, poplar, and other trees besides land stated that after they made the land, free for construction, the place is being given no attention from the authorities.
Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the locals blamed the administration for not commencing the construction of the medical college, stating that they were forced to cut down all the trees within a short period of 24-hours, after the visit of different administrative officials.
They said that the entire hamlet depends on the sale of trees and the production generated from them and agricultural activities and no local is an employee with any of the government department.
"We are very poor and were made to raise all the tress to the ground and even after knowing the condition of this population administration has left the land there without any action and all of us are forced to undergo immense problems in absence of compensation", they said.
An elderly local told KNO that, “we have learnt that the administration has finalized this land, funds too have been allocated, even the scientific tests of land were carried but tree owners have been left to suffer while the construction is yet to commence.”
He said that not only in lakhs but the local population has given property worth crores and yet there is no progress on ground—(KNO)