Noor UL Shahbaz
It was year 2019 when Union Government of India under the reign of NDA (BJP) approved various government medical colleges and north Kashmir frontier district kupwara also got its share by the name of Government Medical College Handwara. One will wonder that if the frontier district is known by the name of “Kupwara” then why medical college is attached with the name “Handwara”, it is because of the reason that the district hospital is located in handwara town and sub-district hospital in kupwara headquarter. Although the scheme of top public offices distribution is among kupwara town and handwara town in such a way that Kupwara being the district headquarter lacks some entitlements and in the same case handwara also lacks few entitlements so to be named as a separate district. Kupwara town sharing its vast boundary with Karnah, Keran, MAchil, Lolab meaning thereby to cater large population, in the same way handwara town sharing its boundary with vast area of Rajwar, Ramhall part, Mawer, Qaziabad, Pohru, Magam, Kandi part has also to cater large population.
Kupwara town lacks district hospital and handwara town lacks district collector so to balance both of them. The brotherhood among the people living in whole district kupwara is of an example. We share common culture, food, clothing, language and more importantly the love and care towards each other. Coming back to my topic we are fortunate enough that to upgrade the health infra within our district medical college was approved and with that the associated district hospital handwara also got up gradation and we hope that the percentage of referrals towards Srinagar city hospitals will enormously go down to a greater extent in the coming future. The health facilities for which the patients have to rush towards Srinagar city by travelling more than 100 kms will get ease and emergency treatment at their door step when we compare the travel distance.
The sole motive behind writing this article is that we the common people of the whole district are caught in a travesty that since 2019 till date our GMC Handwara is yet to get completion. North Kashmir is represented by Member Parliament Er Rashid who is from the same district; we are represented by six Legislative Assembly Members (from Karnah, Trehgam, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara and Langate). But the irony is that the political vendetta between National Conference with that of Sajad Gani Lone (Peoples Conference Chairman and MLA from Handwara) has made the people of whole district the victims of this vendetta talking in terms of GMC Handwara. This political vendetta has become a strong barrier since 2024 Assembly elections for the continuity in construction work on GMC Handwara. It is worth to mention that Sajad Gani Lone having the BJP tag after 2014 Assembly elections is the player who moved from pillar to post in centre and got the public title in his name for approval of GMC Handwara. If the case is not so it would not have been approved or if approved by the intervention of NC that might be then at District Headquarter with up gradation of sub-district hospital as associated hospital. So there is no doubt in this fact and if anyone says yes these projects get approved themselves then I argue my village is in dire need of New Multi-Storied School Building and we approached the concerned authorities pillar to post but till date not approved. The fact is that we are grateful to Union Government of India led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that we got cabinet approved GMC Handwara and Sajad Gani Lone used his good offices. Now after the cabinet approval different various locations as per the guidelines of NMC within the radius of district hospital handwara were inspected with maximum available land and among those locations the LG led administration approved Gund Chogul village having approx. 450 kanals of state/khahcharie land out of which on approx. 300 kanals mutations were done on the name of GMC Handwara by the LG led administration. The site was occupied with the property of village people worth crores including apple trees, walnut trees, willow, poplar, crops etc and was cut down on the name of GMC Handwara. They were not simply the trees but the livelihood of the poor village people and their future generations. Then NOC’s from diverse departments with regard to the approved site Gund Chogul were issued thereafter in 2021 the Hon’ble Home Minister of India Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of GMC Handwara at Gund Chogul approved site. The approved site comes within the radius of 3 kms from the district hospital handwara. The funds were released from the central government and the construction work carried on till 2024 April.
Public money approx. more than 50 crores have been invested on work execution, double storied buildings, and heavy underground work for around huge 11 buildings has been completed. After a gap of more than 30 years due to consistent rains for around 5 days the construction site got water logged and some parts of other villages on Nalla Pohru also got water logged. The water got washed off within days, but this became the reason for the current National Conference government to come up with a proposal of relocation of GMC Handwara and the Health and Education Minister Sakina Itoo in consultation with the six MLA’s of Kupwara district and on the aid and advice of Advisor to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during her visit/inspection to another place announced that site feasible for relocation of GMC Handwara. I will not get into the detailed discussion whether place A or place B is the better site for GMC Handwara because I don’t have any political interests affiliated rather I will say that GMC Handwara has become a victim of politics, if the case is not so then why can’t the current government come up clean with safety measures on the already approved site and carry forward the construction so to meet the NMC deadline (already extended) i-e, March 2026 and evade the clouds of De-recognition or cancellation of affiliation. Why can’t the current government consider 2014 floods in Srinagar city into consideration and give up its lame excuse of floods and not to compare the intensity of Pohru Nalla and River Jehlum. Why can’t the current government use efficient engineering techniques when we say that we live in the 21st century of modern era of advanced technologies and developmental mechanisms? Why can’t the current government take into account the landscape of J&K that only two kinds lands are available i-e, hilly or plain areas.
The developmental projects in hilly areas are always endangered with earthquakes, landslides etc and the plain areas covered with lakes, rivers and other water bodies the developmental projects here endangered with floods. Then where to develop the infrastructural facilities for common people, I can say on both the landscapes but with expertise and technicalities put into execution. As a common resident of this frontier district I urge the representatives let the construction work on GMC Handwara at approved site Gund Chogul be carried on without making this public project a victim of political vendetta. Let you try in future for approving more and more projects for we people that will prove to be the real representation of we people living in far flung district of India where we are still struggling for basic amenities of our lives. You must not fight for the cake put up on your table by the Union Government rather try to bake more and more cakes for we people. Lastly I urge on behalf of village people of Gund Chogul, common masses of whole district kupwara whose aspirations and dreams are attached with better health infra to Lieutenant Governor of J&K, the central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene as early as possible.
Noor UL Shahbaz (M.A, LL.M [Gold Medallist],Lecturer in Law & Former Acting Principal at Sopore Law College, can be reached at im1415151819@gmail.com,
