KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
In the guise of current civil uprising, a surprising administrative transfer on cusp of Srinagar Master Plan completion has taken many aback in state. The move said to be the highly “spiteful” has paved way to a chief lacking both “experience and expertise” of the job.
The transfer in question is of Iftikhar Hakim who served as city’s chief town planner for last eight years. Hakim was lately replaced with Nazir A Khan, an ex-Joint Commissioner Municipality.
Both the timing and manner is hinted at the “conspiratorial” angle at play. “I was to submit my Master Plan of Srinagar within a few days before I was surprisingly transferred from the post,” Hakim told Kashmir Life. “I wasn’t given any genuine reason.”
Hakim was earlier expected to submit the Master Plan by July end, which was later postponed for September in view of eruption of the civil uprising.
Hakim who has now been given a “below dignity” post in Municipality said the new chief town planner “doesn’t even know” the basics of Planning.
“He (Nazir Khan) has created a history after being appointed as chief town planner,” Hakim said. “It is for the first time that any person lacking proper professional degree and experience has been given the charge of the coveted post.”
Hakim said the only qualification Khan possesses is his correspondence course completed within last two years. “He was chosen over other three candidates who had much more experience and proper qualification than him.”
Apart from the “undeserved” appointment, Hakim said, involvement of politics and vested interests is behind his “ouster”.
“Since last year I was working on the Master Plan and now at final moment, I was shown the door,” Hakim said. “I believe some vested interests didn’t want my Plan should see the light of the day. Earlier, when I wanted to flip Pahalgam for good, I was transferred.”
Being the chief town planner from last eight years, Hakim said he always worked as per the process.
“Just because I couldn’t keep people in good humour or toe their line, I was called ‘rigid’ and ‘impossible to work with’,” he said. “What happened to me will further encourage a culture of corruption in government sector—because even my subordinates in town planning office now know the costs of honesty and dedication.”
Hakim said that he had prepared Srinagar Master Plan “keeping sustainable development of city for the next three decades in view”.
“But just because some vested interests didn’t find anything in the Plan, they conspired to plan my ouster,” he claimed.
