Srinagar, Mar 2: Several government buildings, which have been left abandoned by the concerned departments, have turned into a safe haven for drug addicts, posing a major challenge for the authorities to control the menace.
The move comes amid a sustained campaign launched by the Jammu and Kashmir government to curb the menace of substance abuse in society, particularly among youth.
Concern is being raised by the concerned citizens that the government buildings left abandoned due to incomplete construction or other reasons have been taken over by drug addicts.
Recently, the J&K government revealed that several school buildings constructed under different government schemes in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district have been left abandoned or incomplete.
The government attributed the lapse to cost escalation and the transition of centrally sponsored schemes from the erstwhile SSA and RMSA to SamagraShiksha.
An official told Greater Kashmir that these projects, after being taken up for execution, remained incomplete owing to various reasons such as cost escalation, transition of SSA and RMSA schemes to SamagraShiksha.
“These buildings do not exist only in Baramulla district, but there are dozens of such buildings which have been left abandoned with no watch and ward from the concerned department,” the official told Greater Kashmir.
13 such school buildings have been identified in the Pattan area alone, which have been left abandoned by the school education department.
A top official told Greater Kashmir that the School Education Department (SED) is projecting these buildings in the annual plans under SamagraShiksha to complete work on the incomplete, abandoned buildings.
“We have already started the process for it,” he said.
Besides school buildings, other unused government buildings are also being used as shelter by the drug addicts.
A citizen from Hygam shared a video on social media and highlighted how the government buildings were becoming safe haven for drug addicts due to a lack of attention from the concerned department.
The social media user uploaded a video from a tourist spot in the Hygam area and pointed towards the bottles and syringes found in the government buildings.
The video was shot at Veer, a scenic and emerging picnic spot in the Hygam area near Sopore.
“The department has developed this area as a tourist spot, but the infrastructure built here lacks watch and ward from the department,” he said.
In the video, one can see how the infrastructure was damaged by an unknown person, and the buildings are seen in complete disorder.
“This is happening because the government property does not have proper watch and ward,” he said.
The locals urged the concerned department to ensure proper watch and ward of these government buildings.
“These buildings have become safe haven for drug addicts. Tablets and syringes are seen spread all over the area here,” he showed in the video.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA), Tariq Hussain, who is holding the additional charge of CEO HygamNingliTarzoo Development Authority (HNTDA) said the assets are being renovated and will be outsourced very soon.
“We have done a lot of renovation of the buildings and other infrastructure at Veer Hygam. The asset will be outsourced very soon,” he said.
He said the GDA has also taken up the matter with the local police and urged them to increase patrolling near the tourist spot Veer Hygam.
“Once the asset is outsourced, it will become a good facilitation centre for tourists,” CEO GDA told Greater Kashmir.
