Residents protest halt in Handwara medical college work, oppose shifting
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, residents of Kulangam, Chogal and adjoining areas staged a peaceful protest against the halt in work on Government Medical College Handwara, demanding immediate resumption at the original Chogal site or a nearby alternative.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protesters said the report of the committee led by the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir has not been made public, raising serious questions about transparency.
“We fail to understand why the report is not being made public. The people deserve transparency,” said Abdul Jabbar War from Gund Chogal.
“We will not accept shifting of the GMC to Nutnussa. It will deprive our area of much-needed healthcare and development, and most importantly we have sacrificed for this project by donating over five hundred kanals of land without any compensation,” said Mohammad Amin, a local protester from Kulangam.
“When the government first approved the Gund Chogal location for the construction of GMC, the entire village was filled with hope. Farmers willingly vacated their land, which had been cultivated for generations. Many even felled trees to clear the area, viewing it as a pathway to development for the region,” said Abdul Rashid War, a local.
“We have been waiting for years but instead of progress, the project has been stalled without any clear reason, leaving us in agony. If authorities have nothing to hide, they should release the report immediately and clear the confusion,” he added.
The protesters warned that if their demands are not addressed, they will intensify their agitation in the coming days.
