Bandipora, July 11(KNS): While the administration of Bandipora celebrates achieving the 2nd rank in the North Zone under the Government of India’s Aspirational Block Programme (ABP), residents of Tulail block—the core area of the programme—have strongly refuted claims of significant development.

According to KNS, locals said the government’s portrayal of progress is misleading and doesn't reflect the hardships they continue to face. “We still don’t have basic healthcare, proper roads, or reliable electricity,” said Abdul Majeed, a resident of Tulail Tehsil. He added that people have to walk for miles in emergencies due to the absence of transport and medical facilities.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Bandipora district adminstration earlier stated that Tulail had shown substantial improvement in health, education, agriculture, and infrastructure under the ABP, helping the district achieve the second rank and making it eligible for a ?2.5 crore incentive.

But residents say such development exists only on paper. “Nothing has changed for us. The indicators might be filled in reports, but our ground reality remains grim,” said another villager.

As the administration plans to utilize the reward fund, Tulail’s residents demand that their long-standing needs be addressed before celebrating rankings.(KNS)