Anantnag, Mar 01 (KNO): Even after two decades, a shopping complex of Urban Local Bodies (ULB) in Anantnag town remains incomplete. The locals and business owners have expressed frustration over the delay.
An official told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the Urban Local Bodies began construction of the shopping complex in 2004, but the project remains unfinished to this day.
He said the construction was halted in 2009 due to a lack of funds. "After nearly six years of stagnation, work resumed in 2015, with the project cost revised from Rs 8.65 crore to Rs 19.28 crore. However, progress has been irregular, and despite the passage of 20 years, the complex remains incomplete," the official added.
A local shopkeeper recalled that when the project began, the government invited people to deposit money to book shops in the complex. "Decades have passed since then, but the complex is still unfinished. This is a great injustice to those who submitted tokens two decades ago, hoping to secure shops," he lamented.
Residents have raised serious concerns about the abandoned building becoming a safe haven for drug addicts. "One can walk inside and find syringes, bottles, and other drug-related materials scattered around. Yet, the government has failed to take action," a local said.
Despite government awareness of the issue, locals allege that no concrete steps have been taken to complete the project. They accused authorities of dilly-dallying for unknown reasons.
The residents have urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to personally intervene in the matter so that the complex is completed at the earliest and allocated to the deserving shopkeepers—(KNO)