MASROOR AHMAD
SRINAGAR: With the people of Jammu and Kashmir just 5 days away from the first phase of Assembly Elections, starting on September 18th and concluding on October 1st, residents of Hazratbal constituency are expressing their demands, hoping for a leader who will fulfill long-standing promises including upgradation of Primary health centre Lal Bazar.
It is noteworthy that after the delimitation exercise some areas of Zadibal Assembly segment like Lal Bazar have been included in Hazratbal Assembly segment. A direct fight is between NC’s candidate Salman Ali Sagar and PDP’s Asiya Naqash. Asiya Naqash is a former MLA while as Salman Ali Sagar is contesting his first election .
The Lal Bazar area suffered a lot during the tenure of National Conference MLA Peer Afaq and PDP MLA Abid Ansari, this time voters are very anguish and say that if roads and healthcare infrastructure are not given be on priority, the candidate will have to face backlash of the voters. “Our main demands include 24 hour healthcare facility and construction of an urban full fledged hospital with better equipment’s,” the residents told the State Times .The hospital project which has been a set of political promises for decades. Residents demanded repair of all internal and main roads which have been isolated for the past several years as earlier political leaders and now officials are not paying attention to the dilapidated .
In addition to infrastructure, the residents are pushing for the development of cricket ground and public park with walk tracks in the area.
As Voters in the Lal Bazar area, which falls under the jurisdiction of Hazratbal constituency, gears up to cast their ballots on September 25 in second phase of polling, the message is clear: they want action, not just promises. Upgradation of hospital, public park, eradication of dog menace, macadamisation of all the roads, better drainage system. Locals say these development projects are at the forefront of their concerns, and they expect their next leader to address these key issues.