The state government is installing street lights in chief minister, Mufti Mohammad Say¬eed’s, home town at Bijbehara on political considerations with areas which are not been PDP bastions being ignored.
Sources said that it was chief min¬ister’s family members who take the decisions and even interfere in the administrative matters. “The chief minister’s house has become a new power centre. From installa¬tion of street lights to any adminis¬trative matter decisions are taken at Chief Minister’s ancestral house, in Baba Mohalla locality of the town, where Mufti’s brother and his fam¬ily live,’’ said an official.
Many of the areas in Bijbehara reel under darkness due to favorit¬ism. Sources in the Municipal Committee Bijbehara (MCB) said that proximity to the CM’s family or being a PDP worker are the only benchmarks for getting the devel¬opmental works approved including the installation of street lights.
“ There are only two things which work here. One is proximity to CM’s nephew, Sajad Mufti, who is also coordinator of the ruling PDP (PDP) for south Kashmir region. An¬other is the political leaning of the people at Bijbehara,” said an official at the MCB.
One of the localities in New Colony area of the town has not been able to get the street lights despite repeated pleas by the residents. “I inquired and came to know that the light was not installed as my deceased father was a National Conference (NC) worker,” a resident.
Executive Officer (EO) of the MCB, Wali Muhammad, said that street lights are sanctioned by the con¬cerned MLA. “ We are told where to install the lights and we oblige,” he said.
