Atiya Mujeeb
SRINAGAR, July 10: Apni Party President Altaf Bukhari on Friday accused the Jammu and Kashmir government of neglecting development works in the Kashmir Valley, alleging that progress on key public projects had come to a standstill.
Addressing a press conference, Bukhari said tourism was important but could not be the sole priority, adding that roads, hospitals and other essential public facilities also required urgent attention. He alleged that a “well-planned conspiracy” was behind the slowdown in development, claiming that more than half of Kashmir’s six-month construction season had already passed without meaningful work.
He said repeatedly raising the demand for statehood would not by itself address the region’s challenges, and called on the government to explain how development funds had been spent.
Seeking greater transparency, Bukhari demanded a White Paper on the utilisation of development funds, alleging that nearly ₹7,000 crore lapsed last year. He claimed that projects were expedited overnight only when they served the government’s own interests, whereas development works benefiting the common people continued to be neglected. He further alleged that roads and infrastructure in Srinagar, Baramulla, Sopore, Anantnag and Shopian remained in poor condition.
He urged the government to immediately restart development works, saying deteriorating roads, worsening traffic congestion and delayed infrastructure projects reflected poor planning and ineffective governance.
