Ajaz Beerwah

Beerwah, Budgam, Aug 7 (KNS): The Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department has come under severe criticism from residents of Beerwah tehsil in Budgam district for its continued failure to renovate a government building that was gutted in a fire incident nearly eight years ago.

The building, which once housed key government offices including the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education (JKBOSE), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and the Social Welfare Department, has remained in a dilapidated condition since the fire incident in 2017.

Local residents, expressing their anguish, said the building has not only turned into a symbol of official apathy but has also become a hotspot for illegal activities.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel"This abandoned structure has become a safe hotspot for drug addicts," said a resident of Beerwah.

Despite repeated appeals by the public and local civil society groups, the concerned R&B Division Beerwah has failed to take any concrete steps towards its renovation or reconstruction. “It’s been eight years, and nothing has been done. It reflects the utter neglect of government infrastructure and public concerns,” said another local.

Residents have urged the Lieutenant Governor’s administration to take immediate action and direct the R&B Department to begin reconstruction work without further delay.(KNS)