Srinagar
The Court Complex in the saffron town of Pampore is yet to recover from the damages it received in September 2014 floods. The residents of the town have accused the government of delaying the reconstruction and renovation work on the buildings.
The complex had started its operation only a few months before but was inundated in the unprecedented deluge. Before that, the court operations were being run from a dilapidated building since 1996. After the floods, the court was relocated back to same buildings. People say they are facing inconvenience due to lack of space. “Whenever I visit court I feel like I am visiting a barn,” said Shabir Ahmad, a resident of Khrew area of Pampore.
“There is no parking, no waiting room, and the courtrooms are small,” he added.
The new Court Complex was constructed at a cost of over 3 Crore rupees by the Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC). The lawyers based here say the construction was carried out in a flood-prone area due to “political meddling”. They had raised the objections at that time but the government went on with setting up the complex in the field prone to the deluge.
The civil society of the town wants the complex to be established on the land where Fire Service station is situated. They say it is an ideal spot which is free from the threat of floods.
