Yusmarg Sept 30(KNS): Famous tourist resort of Yusmarg in district Budgam which is known for its meadows and forests is nowadays struggling with trash and illegal encroachments. Locals say that this is attributed to vacant posts of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Yusmarg Development Authority (YDA) , Executive Engineer (Xen) and Accounts Officer.
Details available with KNS reveal that Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Budgam is given the charge of CEO YDA and he hardly has time to visit the place except one recent visit he made on World Tourism Day. The overbusy Executive Engineer PWD (R&B) division Chadoora looks after Xen’s post of YDA and Treasury Officer Chadoora who has a lot of workload already is given the charge of Accounts Officer of YDA .
Sources say that heaps of garbage are lying scattered in Yusmarg and 20 casual employees are seen nowhere in the ground. Even the YDA’s own park is in shambles and is filled with trash. Some locals say that as the YDA office operates from Charar e Sharief the local casual staff have no accountability.
" In Spite of the fact that more than 2 crore rupees were spent on construction of Tourist Reception Complex (TRC) at Yusmarg , not even a single officer has an office in the complex. Some years back the YDA office used to operate from Bagh e Mahtab Srinagar and then it was shifted to Charar, why ? Why not at Yusmarg like Doodh Pathri where the local Doodhpathri Dev Authority (DDA) office operates from the TRC" said Ghulam Qadir a local resident of Pakherpora Charar e Sharief
Reliable sources told KNS that a waste processing machine (Mechanical Segregator and organic waste composter ) was purchased more than a year back for around Rs 65 lakhs but that is non-operational till date as necessary civil work has not been done to install the machine. Locals from nearby Goggee Pathri and Nagbal villages allege that some illegal shops have also been constructed by local people near the Yusmarg masjid and YDA failed even to file an FIR against the people who constructed these shops in broad-daylight.
Pertinent to mention that a similar waste processing machine was procured by Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA) as well 3 years back . It worked for a year or so then finally became defunct in July last year to June this year . The entire trash collected near the dump site was buried illegally in Children’s park some months back by GDA officials. Reliable sources say that similar machine procured by Patnitop Dev Authority 3 years back is also not at all operational (KNS)